The Concord of the Supernaturals: XmenTwilight
by SilverWolf742
Summary: 18 years after the end of Breaking Dawn, the Volturi plan to use vampire venom as a means to make vampires the dominant species, upsetting the uneasy peace between vampires and mutants.
1. Camping

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any characters of the Marvel Universe, although Jesse and Brooke are my own unique characters.**

**With that out of the way, enjoy! And feel free to review…I love constructive criticism!**

According to my father, the pact between vampires and mutants dates back thousands of years, formed after the two races nearly engaged in a war that would have destroyed both parties. The point of conflict?Humankind. Mutants, the vast majority at least, seek to preserve human society, and many have pledged their lives to the defense of the human race. This is obviously a moot point for the vampires, whose very existence depends on draining the life from innocent humans. Tensions built, and it wasn't long before the two races were at the brink of warfare. Then, the seemingly impossible occurred. The prominent leaders of the vampire and mutant communities hesitantly met on neutral ground to discuss a compromise, dubbed the Concord of the Supernaturals. Altruism was hardly the motive behind the gathering; both sides merely sought self-preservation, a world where both vampire and mutant could coexist without incurring massive fatalities. It was during this congregation that the Volturi was formed, a vampire elite that was to be responsible for controlling the vampire population and concealing the existence of the species from the common human in order to maintain stability. The mutants warned the parasites to kill only by necessity, and that if vampire actions were suspected to have run awry, the contract would be dissolved. Decades of uneasy peace ensued, each race maintaining its own affairs so well that the later generations were scarcely aware that the other existed. Until now.

I squinted up at the night sky, black as obsidian. The extensive cloud cover blotted out any hint of the stars and muddled the moon's normally pearly glow. _How quaintly coffin like. Suitable conditions for a vampire, _I thought with distaste. Why Ororo, codename Storm, insisted on sending me to Forks rather than my father I can understand. Patience and tolerance weren't exactly Logan Howlett's strong points. 'Wolverine' lives upto his namesake. He bristled at the idea of sending his only daughter into vampire territory, but there was no arguing with the headmaster of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. I smiled to myself at the innocuous name. "Gifted youngsters" indeed. Unknown to most, the mansion doubles as a school for mutants and as the stronghold of the X-men, an organized group of mutants that strives to defend humans. It was founded by the deceased Charles Xavier on the ideal of someday creating a world where humans and mutants lived in a state of perfect unity and acceptance. I've always been a bit critical about that one. The day humans embrace a group of people they cannot possibly hope to control for their own ends will be the day I regain faith in human nature.

I stroked the raised silver 'X' insignia set into the chest of my black leather uniform. I was immensely fond of it, inestimably pleased with my status as a member of the X-men. I could scarcely believe it had been seven years since I arrived at Xavier's Institute shortly after my thirteenth birthday. My sixteenth year of life marked a turning point: I became an active member of the team, and had been serving the X-men since. But in all my experiences, never had I been assigned a task quite like this. Less than a week ago, the idea that vampires existed, and their long history with mutants, had been entirely unknown to me. I suppose the existence of mutants should have made me more open-minded to monsters I once thought only existed in folklore. After all, I lived in a mansion filled with individuals that can fly, possess incalculable strength, that manipulate objects with their minds alone…so why not add vampires to the mix? Word is that humans are disappearing from local populations…succumbing to a strange disease causing intense pain and death soon after. Strange thing is, the bodies are disappearing as quickly as they're piling up. Storm and the experienced X-men suspect the Volturi are behind it, creating vampires for an unknown purpose. In my opinion, the purpose is fairly clear. The vampires are asking for a war, but no one has the backbone to admit it. The Volturi appear to have relocated, and the mutants can't seem to get into contact with them. No surprise there. Yet they all insist that there must be some other motive.

The Cullens. That's who Ororo told us to contact. A "peaceful" coven of vamps that can perhaps enlighten us with more information. The only one that scoffed at that idea more than I did was Logan. The gauntlet has been thrown down. The parasites want a war. And yet here I am trying to play peacemaker with a bunch of the undead that would sooner go for the jugular than provide us with information on how to stop their growing vampire army. Mutants should have exterminated them long ago. Would have saved everyone some headaches.

I knew that Logan's confidence in my abilities and the idea that I wouldn't be going entirely alone were the only two factors preventing him from being here himself. Wolverine doesn't take orders, not even from Storm. I may have been a better choice to send than Logan, but I don't exactly take kindly to the bloodsuckers either. He may not have a reputation for diplomacy, but my record was far from spotless. Ferocity runs in the family.

I inhaled, taking in the melting pot of sweet scents from the forest. The slightly acidic aroma of pine needles, the moist ground, and the scent of decay predominated, intermingled with the odor of rabbit and deer that had traversed the area, scent trails both fresh and stale. Though I somewhat resented being across the country in some godforsaken vampire cesspool, the forest was my element, and hard to come by in New York. Like my father, my senses were inhumanely acute. I also possessed his talent for healing, though the combination of my mother's genes and his own may have heightened my healing ability to a level that surpassed even his own. I liked to think that this ability gave me some edge over him in a fight, but I knew I was kidding myself. Training with my father was never a good self-esteem booster. A new odor pervaded my nostrils. It was a slightly musky, yet it had an edge to it that brought a slight tingling, almost burning sensation to sensitive nose. I sensed the building of adrenaline behind the scent.

"Don't even try it, Jesse," I announced, unmoving. Jesse Storm came into the open field from the tree line that surrounded it, dressed in an identical leather uniform that contoured nicely with his well-defined muscles. I'll be damned if I ever admit to him though. He cracked a wide smile revealed his flawless white teeth.

"Aw, Brooke. Those senses of yours are no fun. Can't even spook you when we're neck deep in vampire country," he laughed. He came up behind me and attempted to touch a lock of the chocolate colored hair that ran in long waves down my back. I shrugged him off with a swift sidestep. This is what I couldn't understand. Why send _him _of all people to be the other mutant envoy? His overt fondness of me dated back to when we first became members of the team. I thought I made it fairly clear that him and I were not a good pairing, as fellow X-men or otherwise. Perhaps Ororo assumed he would be the only one who would remain infuriatingly oblivious to my surliness.

"Did you cloak the jet?" I stated with as little emotion as possible.

"All set, hun. It's hovering on standby a couple thousand feet up above this field. All cloaking devices are engaged. Whenever you're done staring at the sky, come back and eat something. I'm sure you're just as starved as I am," he replied. Jesse turned a walked back into the trees, disappearing among the shadows of the towering conifers. As much as I hated my stomach for it, I was hungry, and it would be foolish to spurn the strength the food would provide me with…even if it meant going back to deal with Jesse.

Before I went blundering through the trees in search of where Jesse had set up camp, I concentrated for a moment, and felt the ligaments and contours of my eyes shift into a new form. The world cleared around me as the jaguar's eyes replaced my own, my vertical pupils widening to exploit any degree of light. This is my other ability. I am a shapeshifter, having all the forms and abilities of predatory animals at my disposal. That ability I owed to Rahne Sinclair, otherwise known as Wolfsbane, my mother. Rahne could shift into the form of a wolf as easily as she could breathe in addition to assuming various lupine half forms and possessing a small degree of accelerated healing. Why my shapeshifting abilities came to encompass all predatory animals is likely due to further mutation that occurred during my development. Mutant genetics isn't exactly a precise science. Memories of my mother pained me…she had not been in my life for a long while. I hastily pushed her from my mind.

I wandered a short while into the forest, following Jesse's scent. The forest was varying shades of gray to the jaguar's eyes, but the way the light refracted into my adapted eyes made the forest appear nearly as light as day. I found Jesse kneeling on the ground in front of two makeshift tents, flashlight in hand, piling timber for a fire. He looked up as I approached, flashing that irritating smile, though it dissipated slightly as his eyes rested on face. That brought me immense satisfaction. Undoubtedly my eyes were reflecting eerily in the darkness. The smile returned. "You look like a demon ," he said with a laugh. I took it as a compliment before I allowed my eyes to assume their normal form and teal color, becoming virtually blind in the shadows once more. Granted, even with human eyes my night vision was better than most. Jesse looked down at his pile of timber.

"Let's get this fire cookin'," he stated, rubbing his hands together. I watched as he reached his right hand toward the wood. The veins of his fingers and palm began to glow a pulsating orange. His index finger burst into crackling flames before a short gold flame shot out it and onto the moist kindling, igniting it nevertheless. The fire roared to life, enveloping us in a circle of blessed yellow light. I sat down beside it, as far from Jesse as possible.

"You could have just used a match," I criticized. I couldn't stand the smug look on his face. He looked up at me, caramel eyes dancing in the firelight.

"Match wouldn't have lit wet wood. Besides, where's the fun in doing it the traditional way?" Jesse responded. I rolled my eyes as I dug into the pack that lay beside my tent, scrounging up some trail mix and a turkey sandwich. _So full of himself. I suppose it comes with the territory when you're the son of the Human Torch. _He inherited all of Johnny Storm's talents with fire, no doubt enhanced by his mother's ( Angelica Jones) prowess with microwave energy*. He ran a hand over his close cropped black hair before digging into his own pack. We ate in blissful silence as I temporarily lost myself to the sounds of the surrounding forest, straining past the benign chirps of the crickets for anything unfamiliar. What kind of sounds _did _a vampire make? The silence it didn't last long.

"Kind of funny, don't you think? Being partnered together…." Jesse began. I knew he was trying to push me. He wasn't oblivious to the waves of animosity that rolled off me. I glared across the fire at him, watching the flames cast flickering shadows across his well-defined face. God, he would be so much easier to hate if it he weren't so attractive.

"It's almost as if…," he began again, looking away before a grin stretched across his features. "Storm thought we would make the most adorable pair of envoys…" Jesse met my eyes again, checking my reaction. My glare deepened. _Don't react…don't give him that satisfaction. But he's just so goddamned irritating. _

"What's wrong, hun? You look like you want to bite me," he teased in sugary sweet voice. I couldn't take it anymore. My vocal chords changed shape as a tiger's growl escaped my throat. I fought to restrain myself from lunging at him. He chuckled. _Damn…he never fails to get a rise out of me._

"Impressive," he stated, unflinching.

"Don't push me. Did you ever think that Storm paired us to see how long you would last before I tore your throat out? They're probably all making bets back home as we speak," I said through tight lips. He raised an eyebrow.

"In that case…all bets are on me. Though I'd like to see you try, my pretty feline friend," he retorted, his humor undiminished. I could barely restrain changing, and had to force my elongating canines into their human shape. I growled once more before stalking into my tent, hurriedly zipping the flap closed behind me.

Curling into my sleeping bag, I closed my eyes, wishing for the wonderful oblivion of sleep to overtake me. Unfortunately, my senses would not allow me to rest when there were vampires about, unrelentingly scouring for the unseen threat that was likely to already be stalking our campsite. How easy things were for humans.

***Angelica Jones is also commonly known as the superhero Firestar. Look her up if you're curious ;)**


	2. The Encounter

**Brooke**

She was there again. Curled into a ball in the far corner, a gory mess lying in a pool of her own blood, gasping for every breath as she clutched her torn abdomen. The animal inside me took pleasure from the sight…from her weakness, her pathetic submission. She was mine. I padded over to her, licking the blood from my lips. My jaws salivated with the taste of her that yet lingered in my mouth. I bent my sleek muzzle over her face, taking in the scents of blood and fear that sent trills of excitement down my spine.

Her head lifted. I stiffened, releasing a fierce growl that exposed my razor sharp incisors. The ragged brown hair fell away as her head moved, exposing her bloodied face. She raised her eyes to meet mine, boring her gaze into my own. I stared into those pale glistening pools that reflected her agony, accenting her full lips and high cheekbones…features so familiar…so reminiscent of…my own. _Rahne! Mother! _My mind screamed in recognition. I tried to back away, but her eyes challenged me, challenged the animal. The beast would not back down from a challenge. I snarled and lunged for her throat.

"NO!" I cried. My eyes wrenched open, frantically assessing my surroundings. Pale sunlight illuminated the tent. The day had finally returned. I sat up, attempting to slow my rapid breathing. I knew I had been crying; the tears carved fresh trails down my face. _Not again._ _I can't lose my head again…not now. _I calmed myself long enough to listen for sounds in the opposite tent. Jesse's deep, steady breathing was all that reached my ears. I consoled myself. Perhaps he hadn't heard my outburst. The dream that once haunted my teenage age years nightly hadn't recurred in a long while. It had been nearly two years since the last episode. _Must be stress_, I assumed, listening to Jesse's breathing again.

I unzipped my tent and exited, taking in the beauty of the forest bathed in mottled sunlight. It appeared ominous no more. The deep evergreen of the conifers perfectly accented the tan hue of the pine needle bed that carpeted the forest floor. I smelled fresh dew on the ground and glanced at the sky. The normally brilliant sun was partially obscured my filmy clouds. My nose told me rain wasn't far off.

_I need to clear my head. _I crouched low to the ground, drawing on my power. The first tingling of the change crept down my spine, quickly beginning to itch and burn. The burning intensified, and like a wildfire rippled outward in all directions. I gasped. It was not so much painful as it was shocking, even exhilarating. My muscles began to contort and enlarge, drawing my limbs in new directions. I welcomed the changes, immersed myself in them, which only accelerated the process. I felt my bones painlessly rearrange themselves, thickening and shortening in other areas while elongating in others. Sandy fur spread uniformly across my skin as my spine elongated to encompass a tail. My senses were always the last to change. When the new wave of scents and sounds barraged my senses, I knew it was complete. My uniform had been engineered to change along with my body, eliminating the inconvenience of having to remove my clothing prior to shapeshifting. The mountain lion's form was now my own. I ran my tongue over my canines, their presence comforting. The lion's instincts now coexisted alongside my conscious self. Their influence felt magnified; I assumed it was due to the fact that this was the cougar's natural element. I flexed my hefty paws and swished the thick tail that was now my newest appendage. The cougar desired to run, and to hunt. _Yes_, I agreed with it. _Let us hunt. _

I weaved through the loftypines with ease, employing my tail to stabilize myself as I leaped over a fallen tree trunk. It was invigorating. I had not enjoyed the change so thoroughly in what seemed like ages. I enveloped myself in the puma's instincts, my ears swiveling towards the sounds of rabbits and squirrels scurrying through the underbrush. I ignored them; there was bigger game on the horizon. A headwind brought the scent of deer. I shifted toward the tantalizing aroma, the ground growing steeper as I climbed the mountainous terrain.

I slowed as I ascended; the mountain lion wasn't built for endurance, and I sensed that I was closing in. The incline leveled off for a bit as I climbed over a rise. _There. _The young buck was no more than fifty feet off, scraping its antlers against a sapling. The juvenile tree groaned in protest as the deer prodded it, and in the animal's distraction I slinked away in silence, crouching into the brush out of view. I licked my chops unwittingly, flicking my tail ever so slightly. I calculated the strike; cougars were extremely accurate hunters. I leaned forward slightly, and a twig cracked beneath my right forepaw. The deer's head shot up; and with a flash of its tail it began to retreat. I lunged, adrenaline driving my acceleration as I closed the gap. My hindquarters propelled me into the air as my unsheathed claws gained a hold on its hide. It kicked out as I shifted my weight and unbalanced the animal. It fell over, and moved to close my mouth around its windpipe. My jaws clamped tight as the buck struggled, its limbs lashing out furiously. I watched as its strength ebbed, and the movement soon ceased. I released the stranglehold, panting. I felt incredibly alive.

I contemplated bringing a piece of the carcass back to camp and roasting the deer meat, but the puma would have none of that. I succumbed to its whim, and began to tear into the buck's side. While I was sure my human self would not appreciate it, the cougar found the taste of the raw meat more than adequate. I immersed myself in the cougar's instincts and ate with abandon.

How much time passed as I fed from my kill I did not know, for wild animals have no sense of time. After some time, I felt my leg muscles stiffen instinctively. I ceased to eat, licking the blood from my short muzzle, trying to discern the reasoning behind my reflexive caution. Lifting my head, my acute ears rotated, all senses on high alert. _Silence. _A perfect silence had settled over the area, and the puma recognized this anomaly immediately. I could not hear the cry of the jay or the drumming of the woodpecker. The brush did not rustle with the activity of the woodland rodents. _Something is very wrong here. _I contemplated shifting, but I did not want to take the time to do so for fear of leaving myself vulnerable mid-change. I gave myself over to the mountain lion's senses; they would direct me to the quickest route back to camp. _Get back to camp. Find Jesse. Then investigate. _I began to run in the direction I came from, but the cougar's instincts locked my muscles after a few feet. Fear suddenly crept into our united consciousness. I turned to go down the slope from a different direction, yowling in frustration. Then it hit me.

_I'm being hunted_.

_It couldn't be a… No. Impossible. It's the middle of day. _I broke into a headlong run down the slope, traveling as fast as my legs would carry me. I needed to get back to the tents. Out of the corner of my eye I perceived an impossibly swift moving blur. I growled in warning. _It had to be. There was no other explanation. _

_Vampire. _

"Emmett, no!" Came a man's voice. I froze in my tracks, skidding to a stop. A force like a moving truck collided into my left side. A flash lit across my field of vision. Blackness enveloped me as I slid into unconsciousness.

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**Jesse**

They watched me with a mix of apprehension, confusion, and curiosity. The three men were crouched in predatory stances, one dark-haired and heavily built, the other two of medium build. Their eyes were black as coals, set into ghost-white faces. The flames engulfed me, contouring to every angle of my body. I was seething, my agitation reflected in the way the flames roared around me, radiating outward like grasping hands. The light of the flames caused their skin to sparkle as if made of diamond. These were no humans.

_Brooke. What have they done to you? _I stood protectively over the battered mountain lion's body, watching her change into her human form. She couldn't sustain another shape while unconscious. Their stares flickered toward her.

"Don't even _think_ about touching her," I said reflexively, my voice low. I balled fire in both of my hands in warning. The largest one snarled inhumanely.

"Jasper," said the one with the bronze colored hair. The blond man nodded, turning his attention to me. _He's in for a world of hell if he so much as breathes in my direction. _I tightened my grip around the fireball in my right hand, but an unusual sensation caused my grip to slacken. I felt my anger begin to dissipate. The flames around me contracted to a normal level. The dark-haired one visibly relaxed his stance. I glanced at Brooke limp form, but the fury would not come again. _What's happening?_

The three remained crouched, but they did not attempt to lunge. I didn't lower my defenses, but I willed the fireballs to dissipate. _I don't have time to play games with these things. I need to get Brooke away from here. Now. _

I bent down slowly to lift her, reluctantly retracting the fire from my arms. I cringed at the idea of leaving any part of me defenseless. Their eyes remained locked on me. The bronze haired one stepped forward.

"Wait," he said in a smooth voice. "We can help her. Please, we meant her no harm." I stiffened, wanting the fire to rage once more, but the sensation took hold again. My annoyingly diluted fury allowed only for a growl. _No harm? That's doubtful._ I stood, Brooke's body hanging flaccidly in my arms. I examined her face, watching the scrapes close and new skin regenerate. I breathed a sigh of relief. She was healing.

I stepped backward out of the halo of scorched pine needles I had created, and slowly lifted myself from the ground, levitating a few feet above the forest floor. The bronze haired monster spoke again.

"She needs a doctor. She may heal at an accelerated rate, but her bones are setting incorrectly," he stated. I froze. _How does he know she heals? _

My eyes narrowed. "What _are _you?" The large one laughed, a booming sound that reverberated in the silent forest.

"We could ask you the same question," his booming voice responded.

"He's a…_mutant_," said bronze hair, saying the word as if it were unfamiliar to him. He glanced at his two companions. I glared at him. _What kind of mind tricks is he pulling?_ Bronze hair smiled as I thought it.

"No tricks, mutant," he stated. _A telepath, _I concluded. _Are they mutants?_

"Vampires," the mind reader corrected my unspoken thought. The realization hit me. _Vampires? The Cullens?_ Bronze hair narrowed his eyes.

"You were searching for us? Why?" he stated. The other two vampires tensed. The details of Storm's assignment cycled through my mind as I formulated an answer. Midway I realized the attempt was futile. Bronze hair was sifting through my thoughts as quickly as they came to me. His eyes widened.

"Come with us," he suggested. I hovered motionless in the air. I knew my assignment, but Brooke was attacked. This turned the tables, and I'd learned better than to walk into traps.

"Yes, we attacked her. It would not have happened had we known what she was. To us, she was a mountain lion, and we were on the hunt. It has been a misunderstanding on both our parts," he stated in that soothing voice of his. The other two looked on, seemingly perplexed by our silent conversation.

I gritted my teeth. _He's right about one thing. Brooke needs a doctor. And if the vamps were really hunting animals, then perhaps there is something…different..about them. _I met dark hair's eyes. His lips curled up in a half snarl. _But that doesn't mean I'm about to let my guard down._ I turned my head to bronze hair.

"You're sure you can help her?" The vampire nodded, his face unreadable.

"Carlisle is a skilled doctor. He has experience with…rapid healers," he affirmed. There was a strange tone to his voice as he said it. My suspicions flared. I rebelled against letting Brooke anywhere near the monsters. I felt my shoulders tense.

"How do I know I can trust you?" I asked of him, though I directed the question at all three. Blond hair opened his mouth to speak.

"Well at this point," he stated, his eyes flickering to Brooke. "I don't think you have many other options." There was a mild southern drawl to his voice. Defeated, I nodded in consent.

"Then let's move already. Fireball here's already cost us a meal," said the largest one with impatience. Bronze hair shot him a serious glare.

"We may have bigger problems than your thirst, Emmett," he chided. Blondie searched copper hair's features. "I'll explain later," he reassured him. They turned off into the trees, expecting me to follow.

"I don't think I ever caught your name," I called to bronze hair. He looked back.

"Call me Edward," he responded. I moved my lips to respond when a white smile lit his features.

"Nice to meet you, Jesse," the vampire finished as he pulled the name from my mind. That was beginning to get really annoying.


	3. Waking

I probed outward as my senses returned to me. I was lying on my back in the darkness. The surface beneath me was pliable, soft. _A bed? _The texture of a sheet pressed against my bare skin. Where was my uniform? I inhaled, and felt my ribs strain against some kind of restriction. I moved my hand tentatively to my midsection, fingering the tight bandages that were wound around it. _Where am I?_

I turned my senses to my environment, and immediately I knew that I was not alone. A foreign scent assaulted my nostrils, unlike any scent I had ever encountered. My nose wrinkled at the foreignness of it. It was devoid of the familiar scents of perspiration or hormonal excretion that were present to some degree in all humans and animals. _Impossible._ Rather, the scent was impossibly sweet, sickeningly so. I slowed my breathing to listen, detecting the nearly imperceptible steps of someone who was pacing. Had my hearing not been so acute, I doubted I would detect any sound at all. The presence moved with the silence of a hunter. I focused on the presence, perceiving soft, steady breaths.

I froze. There was something wrong with the sounds of the creature. My blood ran cold as it realized what it was. I could not hear a heartbeat. _Vampire. _I was in their grasp. A flurry of thoughts ran through my head as I recalled the moments before I lost consciousness. Being hunted, the piercing pain, a flash of light… _Why haven't they killed me yet? Unless I was… No,_ I reassured myself as I listened to the regular beating of my own heart. I wasn't one of them.

My breathing accelerated as I assessed the danger of my situation. The monster paused in its steps. _Damn_. I had alerted it. I grasped the power within me and felt the itching in my fingertips. My fingernails lengthened and changed shape, morphing into four inch tiger claws. I would not be caught off guard again.

I heard the vampire approach me, nearly gagging at the strength of its scent as it hovered a mere foot from my face. I dared not open my eyes. A hand grazed the skin of my right shoulder, cold as ice. Then, during the span of perhaps a fraction of a second, I attacked, swinging my opposite arm over my body with claws extended. A terrible screeching noise grated against my sensitive ears as my claws raked against a forearm as hard as granite. There was a sharp hiss as I rolled from the bed I had been lying on, landing on my feet. In the darkness I hastily analyzed my surroundings, making out a fairly modern looking bedroom. And there, on the opposite side of the bed, was a female vampire, crouched defensively, shining ghostly silver in the pale moonlight that filtered through the spacious windows. Her long, pale hair framed a beautiful woman's features twisted with anger. I dived sideways as she leaped in attack, the change ripping through me. Hardened crocodilian skin formed a protective armor as I assumed a reptilian half-form. Snake eyes replaced my own as I faced the vampire; my throat rattled with a cobra's hiss. Her body appeared as varying shades of blue and purple to a snake's infrared vision. She hissed in return, preparing to lunge again. The sound of clambering footsteps up a stairwell caused us both to freeze. Our eyes remained locked, neither of us wishing to break the eye contact first.

A dim light illuminated the room as the door opened. Suddenly a dark-haired male vampire appeared behind the first, pinning her arms. She snarled, whipping her head to face him.

"Get your hands off of me. I want a piece of her," she growled. She struggled against his burly arms, but to no avail. I narrowed my eyes. _Why was he restraining her? _

"Relax, Brooke. They're not our enemies." I reluctantly looked away from the monsters to seek out the source of the familiar voice. Jesse stood in the doorway, my eyes painting him as a mass of pure white tinged with red. His body temperature ran much higher than most, even in human form. I hissed at him.

"Vampires attacked me, Jesse," I said, though my words were jarbled by elongated snake fangs that crowded my mouth. The large vampire that held my would- be attacker smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry about that one. You looked like an awfully tasty mountain lion," his deep voice rumbled. I ignored the comment. I would deal with him after I got through with blondie.

"You trust them awfully easily," I said to Jesse.

"Those same vampires also saved your life, Brooke. They're the Cullens," Jesse responded. I remembered the bandages around my ribs, though they were now torn at my back due to the protrusion of the tough, scaled ridges that characterize the topside of crocodiles. _Cullens. They must have tended to the injuries. _I winced at the thought of those creatures touching my body with their frozen, stone- like hands.

"Let's go, Rose," came the gruff voice of the dark-haired vampire. He tugged at her pale arms, pulling her toward the door. She resisted mildly, but then gave in. Her eyes never left mine as she was ushered out the door. Then Jesse and I were alone. He shook his head.

"You get four broken ribs, a concussion, fractured pelvis, an arm broken in three places, and eight hours later you wake up and land one on a vampire. Remind me not to get on your bad side," he laughed.

I laughed as well, the sound like a rasping hiss. "And you think you're on my good side?"

"Well you haven't killed me. Yet." Then a mischievous glint came into his eyes. "Though I'm guessing that has something to do with my startlingly good looks." I bared my snake fangs. He was insufferable.

"Why don't you get some clothes on and meet us downstairs, Ms. Loch Ness? We'll explain everything then." He shut the door behind him, laughing to himself.


	4. Alliance

**Here's the fourth chapter. Enjoy and feel free to review!**

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I once thought my knowledge of vampires was fairly accurate. They were the hideous, undead stalkers of the night, chalky skin loosely covering their emaciated frames and faces characterized by beady, luminescent eyes and dripping fangs. Eternal slaves to their thirst for human blood, they were unpredictable and erratic. By day they retreated into their dark habitations to escape the poisonous rays of the sun. Crucifixes, garlic, stakes, and holy water were all staples in a fool proof kit to fight and destroy them. These were the commonly held beliefs surrounding vampires. Apparently we had all been grossly misled.

It was simply mind boggling to be sitting on a completely normal sofa in a modern, somewhat upscale house facing nine vampires, all of which were calmly seated or standing. There were no coffins, no bats, and most surprising of all, no hideous monsters sucking from my throat. The vampires were nothing like I had imagined them to be. In fact, they were…was there a word for it? _Stunning._ Had they been human, they would have been by far the prime examples of human perfection. Their skin was pale, but not disturbingly so. It appeared impossibly smooth, flawless in every way. Their faces were angelic; though each vampire was distinct in his or her appearance they somehow managed to be nearly equal in beauty. Rose, however, may have been slightly more captivating in her appearance than the rest. She stood furthest away from me, her features the epitome of female beauty. I noted the four long, shallow scratches down her right forearm that were my doing. Though they appeared to fade as I watched them, I was both astounded and pleased that my claws did anything to that rock hard skin. She glared at me with apparent animosity, sending chills down my spine—I didn't recall seeing her blink even once. _Did vampires need to blink? _I was suddenly grateful that looks couldn't kill. I feared what my body would look like after one of her glares of death.

A vampire with tousled, copper hair briefly turned his head to me. I heard him chuckle softly to himself. What was so funny? His eyes were mesmerizing, like glittering topaz gems. All of their eyes reflected that same warm honey tint. Except for one. She sat at the copper-haired vampire's left side, her long, curled brown hair forming ringlets around her face. She was just as beautiful as the rest of them, and her skin was pale and flawless, but her eyes were a deep chocolate brown. And I could hear the stable thumping of her heart. _What is she? _The copper haired one looked over at me again as I thought it. _What is he looking at? _ I met his gaze with my own. _What? _I questioned with my eyes. He looked away again, a smile on his face.

"The Concord of the Supernaturals is a pact between vampires and mutants that led to the establishment of the Volturi," began a blonde-haired vampire who appeared to be their leader. He had introduced himself as Carlisle, and looked to be the oldest of the group, although by "old" I mean he looked no more than thirty. The assembled vampires appeared shift uncomfortably in hearing the name of the ancient vampire counsel.

A brunette female to copper hair's right leaned forward to speak. By how he had his arm wrapped protectively around her, I guessed that they were a couple. "If I may interrupt, what do you mean by 'mutants', exactly?" she stated, her eyes flickering to Jesse and I. I had grudgingly sat beside him merely because I knew he wouldn't try to kill me. Storm and now Jesse assured me that this coven fed off the blood of animals, but the vampires still put me on edge, especially after my encounter with Rose. Carlisle turned to us.

"My experiences with mutants are limited, but I do know that they are individuals with genetic mutations that grant them unique gifts, hence the name "mutants." Am I correct, Jesse and Brooke?" Carlisle stated. Nine pairs of bright eyes fixated on us. Jesse spoke first.

"That's right. The mutations among mutants are extremely varied. No one really seems to know if mutations are inherited or just appear randomly. Some of us have mutant parents, but I've met others whose parents are completely human," he said. The teenage girl, the one with a heartbeat, examined us with intense curiosity.

"And what are your gifts?" she questioned, her voice light and feminine.

"My body can produce fire, and its energy gives me flight capabilities. Brooke—"

"is a shapeshifter," I jumped in before he could speak for me. I had a voice, too, and I intended to use it. "I can become predatory animals." The powers of the mutants at the X-mansion were incredibly diverse indeed, both dangerous and beautiful. Memories of their abilities briefly flashed through my mind. The bronze haired one looked at me closely, his eyes widening.

"Fascinating," he stated, though somehow I knew he wasn't responding to my words. Suddenly it clicked. The bloodsucker was in my head. He smiled as I thought it. Jesse must have noted the confusion on my face.

"Edward reads minds," Jesse explained. _Well, that would have been nice to know earlier._ But this new information only confused me. They had other abilities? Like mutants?

"Not all of us," Edward responded to my unspoken thought, "though I suppose some of our powers can be likened to mutant abilities."

"It's how I knew you weren't an ordinary mountain lion. Your thoughts were very much like that of a mountain lion when we first came upon you, but then you noticed our presence and started to think rationally, and in human language," Edward explained. "I tried to stop Emmett before, but it was too late. After he struck you, your partner blasted into the area within a fraction of a second. Jasper, Emmett, and I apologize for what happened. We were not expecting anything like you two." The heavily built vampire from before nodded. I guessed that he was Emmett. A lean-muscled blonde who slouched against the far wall also nodded. _Jasper_, I assumed. His stance reminded me of Logan. I sincerely hoped that by 'partner', he assumed we were only partners in the sense that we were on the same assignment together. Edward chuckled at that one.

"Your thoughts are immensely amusing, Brooke," he said to me.

"Glad to be a source of entertainment," I responded. Jesse looked at me questioningly.

"It's none of _your _business. You only wish you could hear my thoughts," I told him. He simply grinned. I just couldn't deflate his ego no matter how hard I tried.

"You're lucky to be alive," said Edward's partner, interrupting what probably would have ended in another fight between Jesse and I. "Carlisle said your injuries were extensive."

"Her rate of healing is vastly accelerated, Bella. Most of the affected bones had to be rebroken so that they could heal properly. I think her healing abilities may even surpass those of the Pack. Simply incredible," Carlisle stated.

"It's another gift of mine," I stated.

"Almost like Jake," Bella wondered aloud. "Are the Pack elders familiar with mutants?" Bella questioned Carlisle. _The Pack? _I pushed the thought aside. I would ask about that later.

"Doubtful," he responded. "the events that led up to the signing of the Concord occurred far from where the Pack families settled. I don't believe they have had contact with any supernatural beings other than vampires and themselves."

"Which brings us back to the matter at hand. The Concord was established as a type of peace treaty between mutants and vampires. Mutants sought to preserve human lives, the vampires did not. The agreement established the Volturi, which as you know exists to keep our species hidden from humans, and to ensure that they are only fed from as necessary. From what Edward has told me, the mutants are here to address what may be a breach of this agreement." The vampires stiffened. I was instantly on my guard. Rose spoke for the first time.

"You're not accusing _us _of being involved, are you?" she seethed, her gaze directed at me. _No, _I wanted to say to her, _not now anyway. _Before my suspicions had been high, but now I felt my trust in them growing. As much as I hated to admit it, Jesse was right_. They're different. They saved my life, and feed from the blood of animals. They care about humans, have a sense of morality_. Jesse interrupted quickly.

"No, of course not. We came to see if you had any information. Back in the northeast, people have been disappearing. They're found writhing in pain before quickly dying. The bodies disappear. People are calling it a disease…but can't explain the disappearances of the bodies. It's chaos. There are a few mutants that know about the Concord and the Volturi. They claim the Volturi are creating vampires," Jesse finished.

"The mutants can't get in contact with the Volturi. They seem to have relocated. The former headmaster of our headquarters, which is also a school for mutants, had your contact information," I added.

"Xavier. Yes, I remember him well. We met before he established the organization you are now a part of. His vast telepathic abilities revealed me for what I was. There was no hiding anything from that man," Carlisle sighed before meeting our eyes. "I'm afraid we are as clueless in the matter as you are. Our relations with the Volturi have not been cordial as of late. From your descriptions, however, someone is creating vampires, but I find it hard to believe that the Volturi would go against everything they've stood for by exposing our race."

"No. It makes sense," Bella spoke up. Her eyes were intense. "They're power hungry, they always have been. They want to control us. They looked for any excuse to destroy us even after we proved that Renesmee posed no danger to exposing us. The Volturi hate being bound by an agreement that prevents them from acting how they would like. And if vampires were being created by anyone other than the Volturi, then—"

"They would have already stepped in to stop it," Jasper finished. I watched in fascination as the vampires pieced their theory together. They clearly had a long history with our suspected culprits.

"Yes, Bella, but why now? Why would they think they would have a better chance of taking power now as opposed to a decade ago, even a century ago?" Edward responded.

"They must have something else up their sleeve," Emmett rumbled. "Something that makes them think that no one can stop them. Not even the mutants."

"This is much more serious than I had originally thought," Carlisle said solemnly, putting his head between his hands.

" Alice, do you have any idea what the Volturi are possibly planning? Their whereabouts? Their unknown advantage?" Carlisle addressed a petite vampire who sat cross-legged on the floor. I had not noticed her before. Her pixie-cut ebony hair accented her sharply angled face. She seemed distracted, misty eyed.

"I can't see anything," she said helplessly in a voice that was strangely musical. She glanced at Jesse and I. "I'm afraid our future is too closely intertwined with theirs. I can't see around them."

"Alice can see possible futures based on the decisions people have made. It seems like your race is too distinct from humans and vampires, and too unfamiliar to her, for her abilities to see our future," Edward stated. A long silence ensued.

"So what do we do now?" Emmett inquired. The vampires looked at each other, then at us.

"We fight the Volturi. Anyway we can," Bella announced, the intense gleam returning in her eyes. Emmett grinned.

"The Volturi will try to enslave us. That I have no doubt about," Carlisle stated.

"Humans as well. The Volturi would like nothing more than for humans to serve as their domestic cattle," Edward growled. I was amazed at their morality, at their willingness to fight the Volturi not only to save themselves, but to save humans. So there was to be a war against vampires after all…but I had never expected them to fight on both sides.

"Would you fight with us? With the mutants? " Jesse interrupted. Jasper looked at him sharply.

"Seeing as vampires are the enemy in this situation, I don't think the mutants would exactly embrace us with open arms," Jasper pointed out matter-of-factly.

"We'll take care of that. Having vampires on our side would only be an advantage. The mutants will understand that, even if they have their suspicions." I stated, meeting each of their eyes. If you demonstrate your sincerity to them as you have to us, I have no doubt that you would all be embraced as valuable allies," I finished.

"Then we will fight alongside you, mutants," Carlisle stated. His spouse, who was seated next to him, rose to speak.

"You are both welcome to stay with us, for as long as you need to," she offered. "We may be vampires, but we do keep human food. As a cover, you see."

"That's very generous of you," Jesse interjected. She smiled pleasantly, an expression so warm and strikingly human that I could scarcely believe I had once perceived them as monsters. Their perfect faces were turned to us, all of them with a similar expression.

We had made some powerful alliances.


	5. Confrontation

I felt the cool, smooth metal graze my fingertips as I searched my pack for the video communicator. _Aha. _I pulled the sleek, palm-sized object from the abyss, opening it to reveal a screen and an array of buttons.

"Found mine, Jesse," I stated. He ceased sifting through his own belongings. We were back at the camp site after making our leave of the Cullens. Storm needed an update on our status; I feared she would soon send aggressive reinforcements if we delayed contacting her for much longer. Jesse sat beside me, a little too close for my liking.

"So should we tell her about your incident in the woods?" Jesse mocked. My gaze was cold.

"Don't you dare. I'll never hear the end of it from her or my father." He leaned in closer to me. His body heat was oppressive; it radiated off of him in waves.

"And if I do?" he teased, a hint of a smile appearing at the corners of his mouth. I placed a hand on his shoulder and roughly pushed him away.

"But you won't," I responded, as calmly as I could muster. I saw his smile fade ever so slightly. I could tell my lack of anger had taken him by surprise. For once, I had won. An uncontrollable grin stretched across my face as I operated the communicator. The screen blazed to live. Within moments, Ororo's face filled the monitor.

She was past her prime, but even in late middle age she looked like an African goddess. With the exception of the fine lines that were etched into the corners of her eyes and the edges of her mouth, her chestnut skin was otherwise flawless. Her shocking white hair tumbled past her shoulders in large waves, providing a sharp contrast to her dark skin. The headmaster's perceptive brown eyes scrutinized our faces.

"I expected a more prompt response from the two of you. Did you run into trouble?" Her voice was stern.

"My apologies, Professor," I began. "We encountered the Cullens sooner than expected." I glanced quickly at Jesse. He met my eyes, showing no intention of elaborating. He was on especially good behavior, to my surprise.

"They were courteous and cooperative, though they could not offer us any further information on the whereabouts of the Volturi. It appears that they do not have particularly good relations with the group," I continued. Storm narrowed her eyes.

"And you are sure about this? How can you be certain that they are not trying to deceive you to protect the Volturi? I sent you to this group simply because I knew they did not feed from the blood of humans. But they are vampires nonetheless, and may very well advocate the Volturi's plans," Storm insinuated. I froze. I had considered this possibility, though that was before the Cullens had saved my life, had introduced us to their family and treated us with as much hospitality as a revered guest. Could it all have been a ruse? Were they secretly plotting against us behind their warm smiles and seemingly genuine gestures?

"If I may, Professor Munroe, they appeared wholly sincere, and even agreed to fight alongside us should we call upon them as allies in a war against the Volturi. Some of them have incredibly useful abilities," Jesse interrupted. Storm responded with an icy glare; her irises briefly faded to white before resuming their normal coloring.

"Have the both of you lost your senses? You would bring them _here_, directly to the heart of our organization, and have them lead the Volturi straight to us? It appears they have _abilities_ indeed, in that they can brainwash you as easily as amateurs. As experienced X-men, I would think you know better. Apparently I was mistaken," she scolded. I felt my shoulders slump. _Damn, she's right. _I remembered Rosalie's ferocity when I caught her unawares, her feral snarls and the bestial look in her eyes. They were dangerous, and I had been ignoring the signs._ It's foolish to think that vampires would so easily become our allies in a war against their own kind. They were trying to get us to lead them directly to the others. Stupid, stupid, stupid. _

"I comprehend your reasoning perfectly. Our actions were unwise. How would you have us proceed?" I stated, sounding defeated. I saw Jesse's eyes flicker to me. I understood the look perfectly. He still trusted them. Storm continued, though the anger in her voice had lessened slightly.

"Seeing as the Cullens are our only known link to the vampire world, we cannot simply cast them aside. Consider yourselves fortunate that I am not sending two others in your place. I would like you two to continue with the original assignment, though with some modifications. That is, to gather any information that may be of use to us, not only about the Volturi, but about the vampires as a species. It has been centuries since a mutant has ever battled against their kind, and thus knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses is essential. Play their game. Act as if you are ignorant to their intentions. In their quest to find our own weaknesses, they will unwittingly reveal their own shortcomings. The vampires are deceptive; their guile is an art they have perfected throughout the course of their immortal lives. It is how they have survived for so long. Remember this, and be on your guard at all times. Do you understand?"

Jesse and I nodded. I vowed to myself not to be tricked so easily again.

"There is one other condition. You are to report back to me each day, without exception. Any delay and you can expect that I will send reinforcements. And Brooke, I can assure one of them will be Logan." With that, the screen went black, promptly ending our conversation.

"You actually believe her, don't you?" Jesse addressed me, his tone judgmental. I whipped my head to him.

"You don't? How can you still trust them, Jesse? Storm is absolutely right. How do we know that they aren't just trying to use us as a way to get to the rest of us?"

"After all that they did for you, you're just going to throw it back in their faces. I thought you saw what I did, and understood that they were different," Jesse stated, his voice low. He rose to his feet. I stood as well, getting close to his face, though I still had to look up to meet his eyes.

"I know what I saw, Jesse. They saved me to gain your trust, to gain my trust. How else could they get us to cooperate with them? How can you be so blind? They're _vampires. _They aren't like us. Vampires kill people; their existence _revolves _around killing people."

"If you recall, _Brooke, _the Cullens don't kill people. Did you ever wonder why that is?" The anger in his voice was readily apparent.

"Do you want me to say it's because they care about humans? Is that what you want to me to believe? Let me enlighten you. It's what they _want _you to believe. It's all an elaborate trick, Jesse. A trap to get their gullible victims to trust them," I lashed back.

"And I guess you think I'm one of their gullible victims? Do you really think I trusted them that easily? That I would let a bunch of bloodsuckers touch you if I wasn't sure that no harm would come to you? I was there when you were attacked. If anyone had a reason to hate them after seeing your broken, bloody body lying almost lifeless on the ground, it was _me_," he said, pain in his voice. His caramel eyes burned into mine. I was stunned into silence. Had he really hated them for hurting me?

"You sound like Storm's parrot. _You_ spoke to them, not Ororo, and know as well as I do that every word that came out of their mouths was the truth. But no, you can't trust anyone. Not your friends, not even yourself. You're afraid to, and instead you hide behind this impenetrable barrier of anger. It's _you_ who's blind, Brooke. You blind yourself by refusing to trust your own instincts." He paused for a moment, contemplating.

"I know what this is all about. Being Storm's perfectly loyal pet won't make up for what you did, no matter how much you think it will. At some point or another you have to have faith in yourself, and in other people. You can't bring Rahne back. You were young; you can't blame yourself anymore," Jesse finished. He placed his warm hands on my shoulders, his fury abiding. I felt dizzy, nauseous almost. I couldn't deal with this now.

My nerves tingled and burned, and before I knew what was happening the hawk's form had claimed me. I took flight, gaining altitude as fast as my powerful wings would allow. Jesse didn't follow.

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I had lost myself to the rhythmic beating of my wings long ago. The red-tailed hawk's lonely screech reverberated in the empty air around me, an outlet for my frustration and all the pent up emotions I had tried so desperately to conceal. I was scarcely aware of the passing of time, of the dull ache that had begun to settle into my shoulders and flight muscles. Fatigue would soon get the best of me, but I welcomed the physical pain as a blessed distraction from the chaos of my mind.

I looked outward toward the horizon. The blazing red disc sunk low into the hungry earth that threatened to devour it. It painted the sky, lighting the abundant clouds aflame in a brilliant array of orange and pink shades. Night was fast approaching. My eyes were led astray as I perceived a metallic glint in my peripheral vision. There, less than two miles off, the ocean stretched on to what appeared to be the end of the world. I veered toward it, my muscles screaming at the extra effort, and began my descent, tapering my tawny wings to my sides in gradual increments. As an outcropping reared up to meet me, I fanned my wings, slowing my plunge. At last the stone met my talons. I stumbled slightly; I was accustomed to landing in trees, where my grasping feet would be of greatest use. My shoulders slumped from exhaustion; my wings were wracked by tremors.

With significant effort I willed my body to change shape. My bones cracked and twisted, internal organs rearranged themselves and feathers shrank back into my skin. I was on a craggy precipice situated a significant height above the ocean's surface. I crawled to its edge and sat up, letting my feet dangle precariously over the dark water below. I was still fatigued, but already I felt my healing factor stitching the torn muscle back together and invigorating my body with new energy at an uncanny rate.

The ocean, now as black as the darkened sky, roared at the cliff's base, slamming into the immovable rock in its futile effort to bend it to the whims of the sea. I closed my eyes, letting the calming sounds of the ocean pacify my turbulent emotions. _You can't bring Rahne back, _Jesse echoed in my mind_. Yes, I understand that perfectly well. But somehow I always thought that being a part of the X-men could at least help me to compensate for what I did…to help me feel like less of a monster. After all of this time I thought I had put it behind me, I thought I had healed._ Apparently this was the one thing I could not heal from so easily. I felt my face grow hot as the tears began to come. Few things made me cry, but memories of my mother's death always did the trick. I watched as one sparkling drop fell from the tip of my nose, splashing ever so softly on the silver rock.

I lost something that day, and Jesse had made me realize what that thing was: I had lost my ability to trust. I never trusted myself again. More importantly, I never fully trusted another human ever again. I suppose it was partly because I dreaded growing close to anyone for fear of losing them, most especially if it was me that put them in danger. The other part of it was anger. I was angry that no one was there to stop me, angry that no one could save her. Most of all, I was furious that no one could find it in themselves to kill me before there was any chance that I could hurt her.

I remember faintly when Logan tore me away from her body, only to see that it was too late. He never blamed me for what happened. I always thought he should have. I still believe my life should have ended in my thirteenth year. But then my father brought me to Xavier's Institute, and I found hope. I learned to control my powers, and thought that perhaps by devoting my life to protecting others, I could make up for it. Seven years later, and now I realize that saving a thousand lives couldn't make up for killing my own mother.

But maybe, just maybe, I could at least make her proud. Simply by living, by making good use of the life she gave to me. Maybe I could forgive myself just enough to keep on living for her. I could learn to find happiness.

I could learn to trust again.


	6. Memories

**Just a quick note. The long section of the chapter in italics indicates a flashback. **

**Also, there may be a pretty long delay before the next update considering that I'm leaving to go on vacation for the next ten days. But I will resume writing as soon as I get back! :)  
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I was scarcely aware of the passing of time as I continued to sit at the edge of the outcrop, listening to the crash of the waves against the cliff face. The water churned and foamed as it collided. It retreated, only to heave itself once again in another majestic spray. I was mesmerized by how the tips of the waves glinted like diamonds in the faint moonlight. The scent of salt filled my nostrils, pungent and sharp. For the first time in a long while, I felt at peace.

The wind shifted, pushing gently against my back and bringing with it the aromas of the forest behind me. I flared my nostrils, detecting a new odor. My peace shattered, showering me with the shards of its remains. The nearby animal scent had not escaped me. Its footfalls were muffled, their cadence characteristic of a stalking predator. I was on my feet in a flash, noting the renewed strength in my legs. I whirled to face the beast. I felt myself go numb as I laid eyes on it. Just barely out of the fringe of the conifers, less than fifty feet away, stood a wolf of gargantuan proportions, its glossy fur as black as coal. It stood with its ears cocked forward in curiosity, eyes sparkling with an intelligence that did not belong to a common wolf.

My heart sped in my chest as droplets of perspiration accumulated on my skin. I could not so much as look at a wolf since Rahne's death, let alone become one. My legs began to tremble, but I could not look away.

_My own wolf form was black._

Bile rose in my throat as I relived the final memories I had of my mother. My powers came upon me for the first time seven years ago. I still remember the sensation as the incredible strength and raw power flooded my veins, transforming my once normal thirteen-year-old body into something far less innocuous. At first it was wonderful—the enhanced senses, the newfound speed, strength, and agility. I remembered accidentally cutting my hand while helping my mother prepare dinner, and watching awestruck as the bleeding immediately ceased and the wound closed before my eyes, not leaving so much as a scratch. A few months passed; Rahne and Logan assumed that the peak of my mutant abilities had been reached. As did I.

_My mother and I sat at opposite ends of the table, eating supper in silence. Logan was out, as usual. Being an active member of the X-men didn't leave much free time. I picked at my food sullenly, shifting a piece of broccoli to the edge of my plate. My mother looked over at me, her blue-green eyes analyzing my features. Her brow furrowed in concern, creasing her normally unlined face. _

_"Honey? Are you ok?" she questioned. I looked up at her, frustration and anger replacing my sorrow. _

_"If there was any that I could be normal, you would tell me, wouldn't you?" I said bitterly. She frowned, the furrow of her brows deepening. She placed her fork down, giving me her full attention. _

_"Brooke, you _**are **_normal. There is nothing wrong with you, and anyone that tells you otherwise is ignorant," she stated calmly. I glared at her._

_"We both know that's a load of crap, Mom," I snapped. She was clearly taken aback. Her eyes narrowed in confusion._

_"What is this about?" she inquired. I took a deep breath. I desperately wanted to cry; the tears bubbled dangerously close, but I refused to breakdown like a child._

_"Steph isn't talking to me anymore," I began. This was Steph Candelis, my best friend since I was six years old. Between us there were no secrets, nothing we couldn't get through together. Naturally, the development of my mutant abilities four months prior became an important topic of discussion between her and I. No, there was no law against revealing ourselves; the existence of mutants was known by many members of the general public. Though no one had any idea just how numerous we were, nor could they even begin to fathom the level of organization among mutants. We were regarded as sparse anomalies, proving our use in many aspects of human life. We existed in all walks of life, integrated almost seamlessly into human society. I stress "almost." We are not easily trusted by all people._

_"Do you know, why? Can you even begin to guess why Steph Candelis, my closest friend, wouldn't want anything to do with me anymore?" The sarcasm was thick in my voice, almost mocking. Rahne remained silent, her expression heavy with worry. The emotions were welling up now, consuming me. I had to remove the burden from the chest. It was suffocating, its weight so oppressive I could scarcely think. _

_"It's because I'm a freak!" I exclaimed. "She seemed okay with it at first, but I know better now. She's afraid of me, Mom. She's afraid when I hear her talking from an impossibly far distance, when she's bent over panting after running in gym, while I'm suddenly faster and stronger than most could dream. When she knows that I can heal from most injuries in seconds." The tears were flowing now, carving warm, glistening trails down my face. Then an odd tingling began to creep down my spine, like nothing I had ever felt before. I knew something was very wrong. _

_"She won't even look at me!" I blubbered. "Do you know what that's like? For your best friend to fear you? For people to know what you are, and look at you like some sideshow attraction because of it?" The tingling was spreading to my limbs now, fueled by the turmoil of my mind. At this point my mother was on her feet. She came to my side._

_"I do understand, Brooke. More than you know." Her voice was soothing, musical. I wanted to let it calm me, wanted to bury myself in her arms and let her comfort me. But I couldn't. My emotions were chaotic; they would not be silenced. I found myself bending to a new force, one that fed off of my sorrow, my pent up frustration and anxiety. Rahne moved to put an arm around me._

_"Don't touch me!" I hissed through clenched teeth. The tingling suddenly ignited; my heart pumped fire through my veins. I cried out, rolling from my chair to the floor. My mother knelt by my side, her eyes wide with fear and recognition. _

_"Brooke, listen to me! You're changing. You have to gain control! Do you hear me?" she shouted, her hands on my shaking shoulders. Sweat beaded on my skin. Yes, I heard her, but the burning had consumed my every thought. I screamed as it intensified._

_Then all I heard was crunching coming from within my own body. My bones were shifting inside me, elongating my limbs, lengthening my spine. My jaw pushed outward, coarse black hair forced its way through my skin. The muscles of my body bulged as they grew to encompass my changing form. My own consciousness was all but lost as a new presence invaded my mind, overpowering my own reason: the mind of a threatened wolf. A new sound escaped my throat, a deep, rumbling growl. I was on my feet in a flash, transformed into a large wolf as black as night. _

_Danger! Eliminate the threat! The wolf mind commanded. _

_Rahne backed away quickly. I hurdled over a chair with the intention of attack. She dived lithely to the side. From the corner of my eye I watched as she quickly morphed into her wolf form, its uniformly chocolate brown pelt broken only by her sandy underbelly. _

_I bared my teeth and snarled at the threat. She did not return my aggression. Her eyes were focused, calculating. I dove again as she feinted to the left, shattering a large potted plant. I whirled around, the wolf's instincts ruling me entirely. I was all tension and coiled muscle, ready to spring. Rahne stepped cautiously toward me, her head low, submissive in an attempt to calm my wolf side. _

_The wolf knew better than to regard Rahne as defenseless. I launched myself at her. Before she dodged I was on her, pinning her with my massive forelegs, my sharp nails digging into her side. My wolf form was larger, and far stronger than my mother's. She growled in defense, attempting to wriggle out of my grasp. But not once did she attempt to bite._

_She abruptly rolled, temporarily freeing herself. As she scrambled to her feet I dived, my jaws gaining purchase on the muscle of her abdomen. Rahne yelped the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, my human self pleaded, 'Please, don't hurt her!' The wolf deepened its bite as my mother slumped to the ground. Then it ripped a haunch of flesh from her underside as she yelped in agony. I watched, horrified, through eyes whose motions I did not control. I tasted with a mouth that was not my own. I was trapped in the shell of the enraged animal, powerless to its instincts. _

_She limped to a corner, bleeding all the while, and began to revert to her human form. She was rendered too weak to sustain her transformation. I stalked toward her, knowing that I had won. I ran my tongue over my canines. She was mine. It was time to eliminate the threat._

The remainder of that memory became the subject of my nightmares in the ensuing years, playing out over and over again. I was shaking all over as my mind returned to the present, and the wolf again filled my field of vision. It took a step forward, and as it did the moonlight revealed more pairs of eyes yet concealed by the forest, luminescent in the gloom. There were more wolves.

Before my fears could freeze me in place, I dove from the cliff. I reached for my power, allowing the change to consume me mid-dive. As I morphed wings I flapped viciously, slowing my descent in just enough time. As my talons grazed the roaring sea, I began gain altitude, and soon soared over the peak of the cliff.

I dared to look back, and visibly shuddered. The black wolf stood at the edge of the cliff, watching me with those all too intelligent eyes.

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The light rain was cool against my skin. I opened my eyes, finding myself about ten feet from my tent, lying in a bed of pine needles. Apparently I had been too exhausted to haul myself into the tent's shelter, and instead spent the remainder of my night sleeping on the damp forest floor. My body was soaked from head to toe, and I trembled as I took notice of it. Irritated, I pushed my dripping hair from my face. The clouds above gave the entire forest a gray lighting. Just how often _did _it rain here? I turned my head as I heard Jesse rustle in his tent. As he emerged he rushed to me, the usual playfulness in his eyes was nonexistent. He extended a hand, and I gratefully took it and allowed him to pull me to my feet.

"Brooke," he hastily began. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought up Rahne. It was wrong of me." He eyes were downcast, ashamed. When I didn't reply, he spoke again.

"I understand if you won't forgive me. I'm an idiot." His caramel eyes then met mine, giving me a smoldering gaze. To my surprise, I stared back, completely devoid of anger. After last night, I didn't have the energy to feel much of anything.

"I'm fine. Really, Jesse, I am." The corners of his mouth drew downward in a slight frown. God, he actually _frowned. _

"You don't seem fine to me," he stated, placing a warm hand on my face. I didn't push him away. The heat of his skin was so pleasant against my clammy cheek. I watched for a moment as the raindrops hit his body, erupting into tendrils of cloudy steam that dissipated into the atmosphere. He had raised his body temperature so that his skin and hair wouldn't so much as moisten. I suddenly envied that ability. I gently took his hand from me, the withdrawal from the heat making me shiver again.

"I just needed to…think." I decided to leave out the part about the wolves. For all I knew, they could have been a figment of my twisted imagination considering my emotional state at the time. "And there's no need to apologize. You were right. You were right about everything, and I was wrong. I'll admit it," I confessed. The look on his face was one of pure disbelief. I suppose the last thing he expected was for me to let him off easy.

"I know the Cullens mean us no harm, and I know that whatever the Volturi are planning, these vampires aren't a part of it. But you pinned me down. I have problems trusting, and blindly following Storm's orders won't make up for anything I did in the past," I said. I paused for a moment. He just watched me speak. For once there was no sarcastic comment, and absolutely no attempt to gloat over this one victory he had. He was right…for once, and he didn't even use take the opportunity to shove it in my face, although I definitely deserved it.

"So since we're not keen on listening to Ororo at the moment, what do we do now?" I questioned.

"We go back to the Cullens. We tell them that we have orders to stay in the area for now in case the disease gets out of hand out here. In the meantime we report to Storm, tell her what we know about the vampires. Anything we tell her can only help the mutants fight a possible vampire invasion, right?" He suggested.

"But what about Edward? He'll know we're lying. Storm doesn't trust them, let alone is she willing to let the Cullens fight alongside us," I replied. He flashed me a smile.

"Not if we don't think about it," he stated. "Don't worry, we'll prove that the Cullens are innocent. In the meantime, they can help us learn more about the Volturi." The dazzling grin lit his face again, bringing humor back to his features. "And plus, camping out in these woods gets a little less appealing every day. Let's pack up, get the tents back to the jet, and head back to the Cullens."

I nodded. He made sense, and I didn't have the strength to argue. In fact, as I watched him, I realized that all I truly desired at the moment was to have my chills relieved by his steaming arms. Taken aback by the very thought of it, I pushed the notion aside.

_Wow, I really need to get some rest._


	7. The Past

As much as it would pain me, I had to remember to thank Storm for exposing us to telepaths during our preliminary training. Mutations that resulted in some form of telekinetic ability were fairly common, and thus Storm deemed it essential that all trainees have some kind of defense against them. We were frequently bombarded by mental attacks from telepathic X-men as part of our basic training, and though it was a grueling and none too pleasant process, eventually we gained enough control over our minds to create mental blocks against such onslaughts. For most telepaths, our techniques worked well, though we quickly learned that some psychic mutants were much too powerful to be blocked by sheer force of mind. Professor Xavier was one such telepath, but unfortunately I never had the chance to meet him. Jean Grey's abilities were legendary, though my father told me that her own powers eventually destroyed her. Both mutants could not only read thoughts, but could break through all mental defenses and sift through every memory and thought an individual has ever had. Fortunately for Jesse and I, Edward's abilities were not quite so extensive.

I let Jesse do the talking, though we both kept our defenses up as Edward's golden eyes passed over us. Whether he had suspicions or I could not tell. Jesse spoke to Carlisle about our "instructions", and he graciously opened his home to us.

"You are welcome to stay with us for as long as it is necessary," Carlisle stated in that smooth voice of his, thought the nearly imperceptible change in his expression as he said it did not escape me. He was worried.

"There's more to the Volturi than you've told us, isn't there?" I inquired. Carlisle gave a sigh, then spoke.

"Yes, there is. The line between vampire and mutant affairs has been blurred, and if a war is to be had, it will be necessary that you are given this information. But let us not dwell on this now. Please, allow us to treat you as proper guests. Esme loves to practice human cooking." His mouth curved into a slight smile, revealing his impossibly white teeth.

At the mention of food, I realized that it had been a long while since I'd eaten last. My stomach grumbled in protest. Yes, food sounded good.

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It looked to be a fairly normal piece of pizza. Handmade by Esme, it had all the trimmings, just as I liked it. But did I have faith in the cooking of a woman that didn't eat food? I took in its scent. The familiar odors of cheese, tomato sauce, pepperoni and its other components were all that I could detect. _Relax, Brooke. They aren't going to try and poison you. You trust them. Learn to trust. _

I glanced over at Jesse, who was greedily devouring what must have been his fourth slice. Red sauce stained his lips. I couldn't help but giggle at the sight. I suppose if there was truly anything wrong with it, Jesse would have been dead already. I put aside my suspicions and took a bite. The medley of flavors that ignited my taste buds was wonderful. It was delicious.

At that moment, Renesmee glided into the spacious, well-lit kitchen. All of the vampires moved with the same feline grace. Shafts of sunlight alighted on her pale skin, giving it a light sparkle. I had to restrain a hysterical laugh. _Seriously? No melting? No bursting into flames? _These were not the sun-fearing monsters from the stories that retreated into dark coffins by day. The Cullens embraced the sunlight. In fact, they _sparkled _like multifaceted gemstones in its rays.The rate at which my convictions about vampires were shattering was astounding.

As if she had read my mind, Renesmee scooped up a slice of pizza and took a generous bite as she sat down across from us. She grinned.

"You know, I normally prefer blood to human food, but for pizza I make an exception," she stated. I looked at her quizzically, listening to the steady thrum of her heart. She was the only one who yet had a pulse, the only one whose eyes were not the honey color of her family. And now she ate human food. She noted my expression and frowned slightly.

"Something wrong?" Renesmee asked. I had a hunch she knew I had reacted to her. Her scent, which was not quite as sickeningly sweet as that of her family, changed to indicate her nervousness. I felt a pang of guilt for making her feel self-conscious.

"No, nothing's _wrong_. It's just that, you're different from the others. Your heart beats, your eyes are brown, and you're eating pizza like any other person, but yet you look and act like a vampire," I answered. The teen put a hand to her chest, as if feeling the oddity that was her own heartbeat. She looked up at me.

"I'd forgotten your senses were so sharp. I realize that there is much the two of you don't understand about me…about us. It would be difficult to explain without showing you," she stated. At this point, Jesse's attention was also on Renesmee. He seemed to understand something I had not.

"You _can _show us, can't you? You have that ability?" Jesse asked. She nodded. These vampires were beginning to put mutant powers to shame.

"I can show you my memories, if you will allow me to. I believe it would help you to understand us more clearly," she suggested.

"If you can each give me one of your hands, I will show you. I'm warning you though, the experience may be a little unnerving, or so I've been told." I extended one arm across the marble countertop as Jesse did the same.

"Go ahead. We're ready," I said. She placed a cool hand on the back of each of ours. Then the world around me vanished.

I inhaled sharply as my eyes opened to a new perspective. I heard Jesse's disembodied chuckle echo in my head.

"You alright, hun?" came his voice. It echoed eerily, ghostlike.

"Fine," I grumbled, wishing he could see my scowl. My voice sounded equally disembodied "And if you call me 'hun' one more time I'll—"

"This is my first memory," Renesmee interrupted, her voice echoing in my mind. I cooled my flaring anger long enough to refocus on the situation at hand. I nearly gasped again as a young woman's face filled my field of vision. Her face was flushed and perspiring, her breathing ragged, sporadic. Her long, dark hair tumbled in tangles about her, sticking wetly to her forehead. The woman's deep brown eyes were bleary with exhaustion, fear, and panic. Her features were familiar.

"Bella. It's Bella," I affirmed. "But she's…"

"Human," Jesse finished for me. She was undoubtedly human, and plainly in excruciating pain. I tried to direct my ethereal voice to Renesmee.

"Then that makes you…"

"A half-vampire," she filled in. "Bella was human when she conceived me." That would explain Renesmee's curious mix of human and vampire characteristics. _But Bella was _human _when she became pregnant? _I pondered. _How in the _world_ did that ever come to be? _I had a distinct feeling I didn't want to know all of the details. Bella had extensive interaction with vampires as a human…how she got so entangled with them was simply mind boggling.

"Mind boggling, indeed," came a silky smooth, masculine voice. "Bella has a knack for getting herself into trouble. Her tenacity never seems help her situation." _Edward? _God, he was in my mind again. I brought up my mental defenses.

"Ugh, the mind reader," I heard Jesse snort. "Has anyone ever told you that it is extremely irritating when you do that?" Edward's laugh reverberated in my mind. I wasn't sure I liked all of these voices in my head.

"Yes, they have," he replied. "But it appears that you've closed your minds to me. Other than Bella, no one has yet been able to do that."

"X-men training, my friend," Jesse stated, a bit of pride in his voice. I rolled my eyes. He was clearly gloating in this victory. Renesmee giggled.

"Sorry, he wanted to see what we were up to, so I let him into my mind as well," she explained. "Trust me, you won't even know he's here."

"That's doubtful," Jesse interjected. For once I wanted to laugh at one of his remarks, but I held back. Renesmee apparently ignored his comment, because her memory continued to progress. I realized that is was Renesmee's eyes I was looking through as she was lifted from Bella's arms and whisked from a room unfamiliar to me. Just as the door was about to close, I saw Edward bend his open mouth to her throat. Then it all made sense.

"Edward changed her. Made her into a vampire. That's how she survived," I concluded. Jesse gave a short grunt expressing his agreement.

"Now, do you understand how I came to be?" Renesmee inquired.

"Well, in the basic sense, yes. But what came before that seems to be the real story," I stated.

"Quite a story, but a rather long one. Renesmee would obviously not have those memories, but perhaps one day we could tell you of it," came Edward's voice.

"Oh yes, it's just like he isn't here," Jesse piped up. I was glad he couldn't see me smile.

My vision blurred, then the memories came again as fleeting images, as if Renesmee propelled them in fast forward. The rate at which they flashed before my eyes was dizzying. I watched as Bella woke as an inhumanely beautiful, full y fledged vampire, admired how she and the Cullens doted over the young Renesmee, how they protected her with their lives. It was these memories that validated the nature of the Cullens. They were no more evil than any other human being.

There was an unfamiliar face that frequently recurred in her mind. A tall, lean-muscled young man, his skin reddish brown in color, indicative of his likely Native American descent. His glossy, ebony hair was shaggy and long in most memories, but in others it was close cropped. He spent much time with Renesmee, gazing at her with a looks of such adoration and love it was almost palpable. _Jacob_, the memories kept saying. His name was Jacob. Who was this Jacob? More importantly, _what _was he?

The memories shifted again to reveal a forest, whose tall conifers and cloudy skies revealed it to be located in Forks. I watched Jacob and Bella through Renesmee's eyes, their faces intent, searching. They were hunting, I realized. It was then that Jacob metamorphosed into a gigantic, russet wolf. I hadn't been dreaming; the wolves I saw at the cliff face had been real.

I flinched; my breath seized in my throat. I knew I had withdrawn my hand from Renesmee when the Cullens' kitchen reappeared and I was again able to see my own body. Edward stood a few feet away from the counter, analyzing me with concerned eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Renesmee and Jesse then came out of what appeared to be a trance-like state. I couldn't breathe. Jesse came closer to me, fear in his eyes. He knew very well what was wrong.

"Brooke, relax. Do you hear me? Breathe," he said quickly. His voice was urgent. The memories flooded my mind again. Trapped inside the animal, the look in Rahne's eyes. And the blood…there was so much blood. Edward's eyes widened. I was never able to guard my mind when panicked.

Jesse put both of his hands on my shoulders, using his powers to send waves of heat through my body. My muscles immediately went lax, allowing me to take a breath of air. I relaxed, slumping into his arms. Renesmee watched me with shock in her eyes. To my horror, the remainder of the Cullens had clustered into the kitchen, no doubt alerted by the drama. I felt suffocated by their stares, ashamed by my reaction to the sight of the wolf.

"I-I-I'm sorry," I stammered. It was Edward who responded.

"It's ok. I understand."

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After I had calmed, with my permission Edward explained my fear of wolves to the others, leaving out the more disturbing details of my mother's death. I felt as if they were silently passing judgment, but not one of them criticized, not one of them looked at me with scorn or distaste. But it was still painful, having so many aware of my darkest secret.

Renesmee detailed the remainder of the memories she had intended to show us, describing how the Volturi viewed her as a threat to the secrecy of the vampire community and the confrontation that ensued as a result. I was captivated by it all, astounded by the existence of so many vampires and their unique abilities and at the same time fearful of the numerous powers of the members of the Volturi. She was careful to mention Jacob and the rest of the "pack" sparingly. But now I was burning to know more.

"And what _are _they, exactly?" I addressed the group.

"Are you sure you are comfortable discussing it?" Edward asked. Jesse looked at me sharply.

"We don't have to talk about them, Brooke. You did just have a full-blown panic attack," Jesse stated. I shook my head.

"My feelings don't matter here. If they're friends of the Cullens then this war involves them, too. Last night I saw a few enormous wolves at the edge of the forest. I thought it was my imagination at the time. I doubt that was my last encounter with them. Maybe if I understood them better, I wouldn't be so apprehensive," I explained. I turned toward the Cullens. "Tell me about the pack."

"They call themselves werewolves," Bella began. "but in reality their transformations have nothing to do with the cycles of the moon. They can become wolves at will, have heightened senses and accelerated healing." I took in this information for a moment. Their abilities sounded identical to those of my mother.

"Do they by any chance get their powers at the onset of puberty? Or are they born with it?" I asked.

"None of them were born with the ability to change. They developed it when they got older," Bella answered. "Why do you ask?" Jesse glanced at me. I think he knew where I was going with this.

"Your 'werewolves' are actually mutants. Shapeshifters, like my mother was, that develop their powers at puberty, usually triggered by some sort of stressful event. Their abilities are genetic, passed down from generation to generation." The Cullens nodded in agreement.

"It makes sense," Edward stated. "Brooke's abilities are especially similar to those of the pack."

"We'll have to inform them of the recent actions of the Volturi," Carlisle interrupted, as if reminded by our discussion of the pack.

"You think they will side with us?" Emmett stated. Carlisle shrugged.

"We can only make them aware of the situation. In the end, it is their decision to fight or to remain neutral in vampire affairs," he stated. Jesse stiffened.

"It isn't just a vampire problem anymore. Human and mutant lives are also at stake. This involves all of us, and we're going to need all the help we can get," Jesse said. There was silence. All of us knew it was true.

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That night Jesse and I retreated into the woods to contact Storm. We told her of vampire tolerance of sunlight, of their stone skin and special abilities. We also gave her all the information we had of the Volturi, complete with names and individual abilities. She appeared impressed with what we had gathered, though she had her suspicions about what we had learned of the Volturi, as she assumed that the Cullens were trying to deceive us. She urged caution, but instructed us to remain with the Cullens provided that they continued to feign friendship.

"I will give you instructions to return within two days time," she stated. "Any longer and I feel as if I am putting you in unnecessary danger. I expect an update soon." With that the communicator screen went black. I felt as if I was betraying the trust of the Cullens by communicating with our superiors. Though we were not causing the Cullens harm, around Storm we pretended they were the enemy. I wanted to shout at her: You have it all wrong! The Cullens want to help us! They are willing to fight for _us_, for the mutants, the humans, and for those vampires who regard the Volturi as the enemy. We had asked the Cullens to fight alongside us, and they had agreed. How we would explain our sudden departure to the Cullens I did not know.

We turned to go back to the house when the distant rustle of leaves alerted me. I turned my head in the direction of the sound. Jesse looked back at me.

"Did you hear something?" he asked. I shook my head.

"It was probably a rabbit," I replied. _Or a werewolf. _


	8. Jacob

The newspaper fell to the tabletop. In bold, black lettering, the front page headline read "DISEASE SPREADS, DISAPPEARANCES CAUSE WORLDWIDE PANIC."

"They're calling it a pandemic. The cases of vampire infections have been reported globally. Twenty people have gone missing from Seattle alone," Edward said gravely. "Fortunately, no one's pinned vampires to be the cause…yet."

"But the superstitious ones won't be fooled for long," Jasper added.

"Whatever the Volturi are planning, it's big," rumbled Emmett from across the room. I sat on one of the many sofas of the main room of the house, stunned into silence. I suppose this turn of events made our story more plausible, for the "disease" _was_ beginning to get out of hand here…but I never expected the situation to be this grim.

Jasper ceased leaning against the far wall and walked to the center of the room. His skin sparkled brilliantly as he passed through a shaft of sunlight. I noted the silvery crescent shaped scars that adorned his exposed arms. What had those been from?

"But the real question is: what do they have to gain? It's clear that they're creating newborns, then taking them to God knows where, but not even the Volturi can control that many unpredictable vampires. If they expose our kind, there's no way they can take on the entire human population and an army of vampire and mutant forces with a bunch of virtually uncontrollable newborns. It's suicide," Jasper reasoned. Renesmee had told us that Jasper's military past gave him a tendency to view things strategically.

Bella, who toyed with Edward's copper hair, then jumped into the discussion. "But like we said before, there has to be something more, something that makes them cocky enough to think that they can take on the world. If only we knew what that was."

Alice shook her head, her eyes downcast. It was almost a sin to see her delicate pixie face creased in sorrow. "I feel so pathetically useless. I can't see a thing. The future is so muddled from the presence of all the mutants. I can only get a sense of it, and it isn't good. Something horrible is going to happen, sooner than we think." Jasper sat beside her and wrapped an arm around her delicate shoulders.

"It'll be fine, darling. There's nothing more you can do. We'll get through this, like we always have. Together," Jasper reassured her. At that she could not hold back her bright smile. She wrapped her arms about his neck, murmuring 'Thank-you' into his ear. Their relationship was beautiful.

Then I heard the footsteps, a four legged cadence whose rhythm abruptly change to a swift, two-legged walk in the direction of the Cullen household. I could guess exactly what kind of guest we were about to have.

"You have company," I announced. "Should be here shortly." They all gave me a quick look.

"This girl's got ears like a dog," Emmett joked. Jesse snickered in response. I resisted jabbing him in the ribs.

"It's Jacob," Edward clarified. "I can hear his thoughts. The pack knows Brooke is here; they saw her hanging around La Push and traced her back here. They want to know what's going on." Jesse leaned into my ear.

"Way to draw attention to yourself," he laughed. "But I suppose attention comes naturally when you look like that." _Don't make a scene, Brooke. Not today._ Though his lips so close to my skin had sent excited chills down my spine. _What is wrong with me? _I saw Emmett suppress a chuckle. Of course he had heard. The vampires may not have my degree of hearing, but their senses were undoubtedly sharper than the average human.

The front door opened, and the young man I recognized as Jacob walked in, his size filling the doorframe. He looked no older than the Jacob I saw in Renesmee's early memories. _The healing factor, _I reasoned. It slowed the aging process dramatically. With one sweeping glance, he took in the group assembled in the main room, his eyes pausing briefly on Jesse and me. He took a cursory glance at the newspaper that lay on the table.

"It's the Volturi, isn't it?" he asked. The vampires nodded.

"Damn," he stated, balling his hands into fists. "I knew we should have taken them out while we had the chance." It was then that Renesmee came to his side and gave him a peck on the cheek. Jacob's tension visibly dissipated.

"Relax, Jake. It'll be alright," she cooed into his ear. He gazed at her with that same look of love and adoration that I had seen in her memories. _They're in a relationship? _I thought it odd…considering he had practically raised the girl, but I suppose in a world where everyone was virtually immortal age didn't particularly matter. The love they shared was infectious. I thought briefly how all of the Cullens were engaged in some meaningful relationship…Bella and Edward, Jasper and Alice, Esme and Carlisle, Rosalie and Emmett, and now Renesmee and Jacob. I felt a strange emptiness I had not felt before.

"I'm guessing this is why they're here?" he said, gesturing toward us. He sniffed the air briefly, and crinkled his nose, no doubt reacting to the vampire's overwhelmingly sweet scent. I had learned to breathe through my mouth around them.

"What are you? You're scents definitely aren't vampire, but they're not completely human either," he asked me and Jesse.

"We're mutants," I explained. "Individuals with genetic based powers. From what we've learned of your kind, you're no different than us. Not werewolves, but mutants with the ability to shapeshift." Jacob mused over the information for a moment.

"Seriously? There are others like us?" he questioned. I nodded.

"Well…not exactly like you. Mutant powers are extremely diverse. But there are other shapeshifters. I have similar abilities," I said.

"I've already seen that, Hawkwoman. But you know, 'werewolves' sounds a lot cooler than 'mutants' does…so I think I'm sticking with that. So what's with the leather getup? And where did you guys come from anyway?" I opened my mouth to respond, but Edward interjected.

"I think Nessie would be able to answer all of your questions a lot faster than we could," Edward reasoned.

"Nessie?" I asked. Bella rolled her eyes.

"I'm not exactly a fan of the name, either," she scoffed. Renesmee faced me.

"You don't mind if I show him our discussion about—you know—do you?" she stated. I knew she meant my panic attack and the conversation about my wolf aversion. I nodded. If anyone should know I suppose it would be the werewolves.

"No, go ahead," I said. With that, she grasped Jacob's hand, and his eyes glazed as her memories filled his mind. After what seemed like ages, Renesmee released him, and he again came to his senses. He put a hand to his head.

"Sam needs to hear about all this. I'll be right back," Jacob said, and with that he dashed out the door and into the forest beyond.

"Where's he off to in such a hurry?" Jesse asked.

"To communicate with Sam, the pack leader. In wolf form their minds are connected, and they can share thoughts and memories," Bella explained. I tried not to think about it. I didn't want to conjure up the image of Jacob morphing into a wolf again. Within minutes, Jacob returned, shirt in hand. I marveled for a moment at his chiseled abdomen before he pulled the garment over his head again. I'd forgotten clothing might be a hindrance when changing into a nearly horse-sized canine. His dark eyes were on Carlisle.

"Sam wants to hold a meeting to decide what to do about all this. Tonight at midnight, at the field. Bring the mutants with you," he said.

"And…Brooke?" Jacob added, pulling the name from the memories he had been shown. "I'll try to get the pack to come in human form." His eyes lingered on me for a moment too long. What was he thinking? Did he think of me as monster for killing my mother? For hating wolves?

"I don't know if that will go over too well," Edward said, interrupting the silence. He laughed a little. "You wolves do make a mess of things with that." Jacob glared at him.

"That was supposed to be a private thought, blood sucker," he said.

"Annoying, isn't it?" Jesse added.

"Tell me about it," Jacob responded.

"I thought we were over calling each other names, Jake," Edward teased. Jacob laughed, a throaty, pleasant sound.

"It's not name calling. It's a term of endearment," he retorted.

"Well in that case, _dog_, I suggest you run along to your pack," Edward countered, taking a step toward the tall werewolf. Bella jumped in pushing, gently pushing Edward back a foot.

"Cool it, you two," she warned. Jacob smiled at her.

"Awe, Bells, we're only messing around. He needs to get riled up every once in a while," the werewolf said. He leaned in to give Renesmee a brief kiss, looking at Edward as he did so. I saw Edward grimace. I had never imagined Edward could get annoyed, emotionless as he normally was. Apparently Jake knew just how to push his buttons.

"Midnight. Be there," he said, and swiftly made his leave. Edward's eyes bored holes into Jacob's back as he left. Nonetheless, I still had to ask.

"His thought. It was about me, wasn't it?" I asked him. Edward shifted his attention to me. "What won't go over well?" He flashed me those ivory teeth.

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough," he said. I wasn't sure I wanted to know.


	9. Meeting

**Sorry again for the long delay. As school looms closer, my schedule gets busier. Please bear with me. I am still writing, slowly but surely ;)**

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We were all assembled in the darkness in front of the Cullen home. It was time to meet the wolves.

"Can you run?" Alice asked me, her amber eyes twinkling in the starlight. I nodded. I excelled at running; it was just about the only thing I could beat Logan at.

"I don't think any of my forms can endure over long distances, but I should do fine on foot," I said. In reality, a wolf would have done well with the task, but I wouldn't…couldn't. Not ever again.

"Then let's get going already," Emmett growled impatiently.

"What about Jesse?" Esme stated, concerned. Other than Emmett, Jasper, and Edward, who had encountered us on our first night in Forks, no one else had actually _seen _Jesse's powers in action.

"He can fly," I reassured her. Jesse flashed the group his signature smirk.

"In the words of my father: Flame On!" And with that, Jesse's body ignited, and there he stood in all his blazing glory, a god of inferno. He glowed, illuminating the area around us. I had to look away from his brilliance after a few moments, seeing spots. He would love me to say it, but he _did _look magnificent, even beautiful with white-tipped flames dancing playfully about him. The Cullens watched him briefly, awestruck.

"That's quite a talent your friend has," Carlisle observed. I rolled my eyes.

"Believe me, he knows," I retorted. My green-blue eyes shifted to gold as I commanded the jaguar's night vision. I smiled.

"Let's see if I can keep up with a vampire." We dashed into the trees, our movements undoubtedly a blur to the common observer. I was astounded at the vampires' speed and grace as I paced alongside them, hurdling over fallen logs and dodging brambles as I went. Occasionally they would leap onto low branches, flipping and cartwheeling from their heights like the finest acrobats. I settled behind Edward and Bella, who were situated behind Carlisle and Esme. Alice and Jasper fell into step beside me. I gave them a brief sidelong glance with my feline eyes, slightly disturbed that they neither breathed nor perspired as they moved. After a few minutes, I heard Emmett's deep voice a few yards back.

"You know, Jesse, she's quite a looker," he said.

"Watch it, Emmett," I heard Rosalie warn. I could imagine him shrugging in return.

"Hey, just saying. I'm not blind, you know. But strictly out of curiosity, Jess, anything going on between you two?" he teased.

"Eh, I think she's coming around..slowly," Jesse laughed. A lion's growl rumbled in my throat. He knew I could hear him. I called out:

"Jesse, I suggest you get some altitude before you start a forest fire and I get Smokey the Bear on your ass." I could smell the burning foliage as he grazed leaves and branches. Emmett laughed heartily.

"And a good sense of humor to boot," he noted.

Jesse came up by my side, flying lazily on his back with his arms crossed behind his head. He looked at me with his glowing white eyes and gave me a scout's salute.

"Yes, ma'am," he stated, and launched upward and out of sight. Alice smiled at me as she did a nimble front flip.

"As much as he teases, he really does care about you, you know. Everyone can see it." I looked at the ground. I remembered when he had defended the Cullens: '_If anyone had a reason to hate them after seeing your broken, bloody body lying almost lifeless on the ground, it was_ me'. He had protected me when I was attacked, but I knew his affections went back to the day he met me.

"Yes, I know," I admitted. _But it doesn't change the fact that he gets on my last nerve. _The remaining miles in the damp forest passed in silence. I saw a break in the trees ahead.

.

"We're just about there," Alice informed me in her singsong voice. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

I shrugged. "I suppose I have to be." I could only hope that they weren't all in wolf form. I definitely wasn't ready for _that_.

All ten of us broke into the clearing simultaneously. I recognized it as the same field we had landed the jet in. Jesse descended beside us, still aflame as he took in our new company. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw an assembled group of twenty or so werewolves in _human _form. I was astounded by their numbers. How had the X-men not been aware of all of these mutants?

I analyzed them quickly. The vast majority of them were male, but four or so were female. All were clearly of Native American descent, with straight black hair, a russet skin tone and similarly angled faces. The males wore nothing more than a pair of sweatpants; the females similarly clothed, but also sporting an additional tank top. Their bodies were in the finest condition: lean muscled, young, and strong. But who knew how old they actually were?

I recognized Jacob at the forefront, standing slightly behind only one other man. I knew enough about wolf pack mentality to understand what was happening here. There was a strict social hierarchy, and Jacob was second only to one: the Alpha, the leader of the pack. But strangely enough, my nose told me it was Jacob who was truly dominant. Why wasn't he the pack leader?

They stood close to each other, anxious and tense. I smelled their discomfort and mild fear. They clearly disliked being in their more vulnerable human form around the vampires. I didn't blame them.

I realized then that all their eyes were on Jesse. They murmured amongst themselves; I heard snatches of conversation that talked of Gods and great power. Jesse's flames, which blazed only a few feet from my skin, were more than uncomfortable.

"Now look who's drawing attention?" I said to him. He smirked at me.

"Didn't think my powers would be all the rage out here," he said smugly, but still he doused his fire and stood with his X-suit completely intact. Whoever had designed our uniforms, perfectly suited to our individual abilities, was an absolute genius.

The pack leader stepped forward to meet Carlisle, his eyes still wary of Jesse. The vampire extended a hand; the pack leader took it hesitantly.

"Always good to see you, Sam. I trust the pack is doing well?" That was Carlisle for you: courteous as always. Sam's smile was grim.

"Spare me the pleasantries. It seems that every time we meet, it is never under pleasant circumstances," he stated.

"No, I suppose not," Carlisle admitted. Jacob perked up.

"But for once Bella isn't at the heart of the problem," Jacob noted. Bella crossed her arms.

"Gee, thanks a lot, Jake," she grumbled. Edward chuckled and wrapped an arm around her.

"For once I agree with the dog. You do create an awful lot of trouble for yourself, my dear," he said.

"Jacob has shown us Renesmee's memories, but we still have questions of our own," Sam continued He had the demeanor of someone far beyond his years. Being a pack Alpha had likely coarsened him; I had no doubt it was a draining responsibility.

"How do you know for sure the Volturi are responsible for the disappearances?" he questioned. There was a strange tone to his voice. I wondered what he was getting at. Did he suspect the Cullens?

"With all due respect, they are the only ones with the capabilities to carry out an endeavor like this on such a large scale, and their thirst for power gives them a motive. This is not the work of a solitary vampire, nor could it be accomplished by any group of amateurs," Carlisle responded. He must have detected the hint of suspicion in the Alpha's voice. A female with waist length hair leaned into Sam's ear.

"Ask them," she whispered. I wasn't sure if the vampires could hear her or not. Sam met each pair of vampire eyes in turn.

"And in a war in which every race rises up against the vampires…" he began, choosing his words carefully. "You would go against your own kind? Fight against an attempt to make vampires dominant? Would that not be against your own interests?" There was disbelief in his voice.

Carlisle stiffened. "A world where the Volturi rule is no world we want to be a part of," he asserted. He said it with such sincerity, I could not begin to fathom how the wolves could doubt him. Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Do your foreign vampire friends share the same compassion for humans as you do?"

"Humans would not be the only ones to suffer if the Volturi obtained absolute power. Vampires would be likewise be enslaved, made servants at their beck and call. Our friends do not value human life as we do, but if they have any sense, they will not side with the Volturi. The organization has never served our best interests," Carlisle explained

"Then our course of action should be fairly obvious. Never will we agree to slavery by vampires. We have bound ourselves, as the mutants have, to human defense. We will fight." The pack became rigid. Whether it was at the prospect of fighting or just unease around the vampires I didn't know. Their tension was obvious. Sam continued. "Cullens, it appears we are on the same side once more. But I swear, your kind is more trouble than it's worth."

Sam's attention then shifted to Jesse and me. I lowered my eyes slightly. It was instinctual, a show of respect. Never make direct eye contact with a dominant wolf, or you're asking for trouble.

"And as for you two. You're organization…it's called the X-men, correct? What plans does it have to stop the Volturi?" I froze. I scarcely had an answer for that myself.

"To be honest, your guess is as good as ours. Mutants haven't faced vampires for centuries. We came to the Cullens to find out what we could about the Volturi, but none of us know exactly what they are planning," I admitted.

I had noticed one of the male wolves watching me a little too intently for quite some time now. I now broke contact with Sam to look at him. He averted his gaze. I couldn't quite read his expression.

"Never faced vampires?" Sam actually let out a genuine laugh, inciting smiles from a few other members of the pack. I didn't think laughter was possible from so stoic a man. "If you mutants are going to be on our side, we're going to have to teach you a thing or two about fighting vampires." I could smell Jesse's excitement. He _would _be eager to learn how to take out vampires. I, too, wanted to know the secret to destroying what seemed to be an invincible species, but I never enjoyed killing. It just often became a necessity.

One wolf, who appeared younger than the rest, asked Sam for consent to speak. Sam nodded. The boy looked eager. "I have a question about mutants. What other powers can they have?" he asked

"Is that really relevant, Seth?" Jacob mock scolded, but I could tell he wanted the answer to that question as well. Jesse smiled.

"Just about anything you can imagine," he boasted. The pack erupted into murmurs once more.

A female shouted over the commotion: "Can you do the fire trick again?" The wolves had lost their tension; all of their focus was on us. As a mutant, I was used to being feared, to being shunned by society. They were genuinely intrigued by mutants…by _us. _Well, at least by Jesse. It was going to be a long night.


	10. Lucas

Social gatherings weren't exactly my thing; I suppose my father and I had that in common. All out revelry had broken out, complete with a bonfire compliments of Jesse. I was pleased that the vampires and werewolves were in each others' company, treating each other with genuine respect. I wondered if our presence had brought the two races together. I liked to think that I had done some good here, since at that point we hadn't accomplished much of anything.

I slipped away from the group unnoticed for the nearby cover of the forest. It smelled of rain again…I sensed it would fall before the night was out. Within moments, I knew I was being followed. If it were not for my enhanced senses, I would not have noticed a thing; my follower moved quietly. I let my guard down when I caught a werewolf scent: a curious mix of human intermingled with the musky odor of a wolf. I sat down against the base of a conifer and rested my head against its rough bark.

"You can come out. I know you're there," I announced to my stalker. The werewolf that came out of the shadows looked startlingly like Jacob. His features were incredibly similar, though as I examined his face his eyes caught me off guard. They were a shocking ice blue color, as bright as polished marbles, made more apparent by the contrast to his russet skin. Were such distinctly colored eyes even possible for someone of his heritage? His black hair was shoulder length, the ends shaggy as if sheared by a knife. I realized at once that he was the one who had watched me with unusual interest.

"Hi," he said. I almost laughed at the simplicity of the introduction. I got to my feet. He was taller than I thought; at least a head taller than my five feet eight inches. Without a doubt, he had two or three inches on Jesse.

"So what's your deal? You have an aversion to people, too?" I questioned. He playfully cocked his head to the side, like a confused puppy. He flashed me very white teeth.

"Not exactly. I wanted to talk to you," he said simply. I narrowed my eyes slightly in disbelief.

"To _me_? Why, of all people?" I laughed. "Firestarter over there seems to have your friends entertained enough." He gave a quick wave of his hand, as if brushing my words aside.

"I didn't come for entertainment. Plus, I think you seem far more interesting," the werewolf stated. I searched his bright eyes. _Is he serious? _

"Who put you up to this?" I asked him, suspicion in my voice. He stiffened as if offended.

"No one," he said hastily. "Really. Is it a crime to want to have a simple conversation?" I felt stung. _Don't be so defensive. No one is out to get you._

"I'm sorry…" I began, but then looked to him to fill in the rest.

"Lucas," he said. "But I go by Luke, mostly."

"Ok, Luke. I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. Forgive me, it's been a long few days," I said. He smiled again.

"You're forgiven," he chuckled. He sat down against a tree. I did the same across from him. "Your name is Brooke if I remember correctly? Or should I just call you Hawkwoman?" He joked.

"That's me. But, please, just call me Brooke. For some reason I think Hawkwoman is going to be a hard nickname to shake," I said, still perplexed as to what exactly the blue-eyed werewolf wanted. He laughed again, a warm sound.

"Well what do you expect? It's what we called you before we knew who you were," Lucas said.

"I can become more than just a hawk, you know," I defended. "As long as it's a predator, I can take its form." He looked at me intently then.

"The wolf included," he said seriously. I sat in silence, not knowing how to respond. _Yes, the wolf included._ He looked at the ground, ashamed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it…especially after Jake told us about your past." I nodded my forgiveness, still lost for words.

I watched Lucas for a few moments. He appeared lost in thought, as if mulling over something of great importance. I wished then that I possessed Edward's mind reading gift. Suddenly, his head snapped up, his eyes burning with intensity. I tensed slightly, unaware of his intentions.

"Do you hate us, Brooke? Do you despise us for what we are, what _I_ am?" His voice was grave, almost pained. The playfulness he had displayed before was gone. I stared at him, at a loss.

"Please, I need to know," Luke said solemnly, searching my expression. The question took me by surprise. _Did_ I hate them, merely because they transformed into wolves? Was it right to judge Lucas simply because of what he could become, of what he was? I managed to find my voice.

"No, Luke. I don't hate you or your pack," I said quietly. Relief seemed to swamp him; his tension visibly lessened. "It's just that—"

"You fear us," he finished. "Because of what happened to your mother." I nodded.

"You aren't alone, Brooke. We know what it's like to view yourself as a beast, to fear losing control," he said carefully. The earnestness with which he said was enough to convince me of his honesty. He didn't heal the scars my mother's death had left on me, didn't make me any less fearful of wolves…but his attempts to console me were heartwarming. That this werewolf would try to ease the pain of a complete stranger said something important about Luke's character. I felt undeserving of his kindness.

"Thanks, Luke. That means a lot to me," I said, smiling slightly. We lapsed into silence again, listening to the laughter and conversation of the assembled paranormals.

"Brooke?" he asked, looking away for a moment. "This is probably completely out of the question but would you…would you maybe let me…," he stammered.

"What, Luke? Would I let you do what?" I interrupted, impatient to know what he was so anxious about. He took a deep breath, then spoke.

"Would you let me show you my wolf form?" Lucas said hurriedly. The werewolf looked to my eyes immediately to gauge my expression, which I left carefully neutral.

"I'm sorry. Stupid, stupid idea," Lucas said, shamefacedly. "I just thought that maybe…if you had a positive experience with a wolf—"

"Yes," I interjected, before my nerves could get the better of me. His eyes widened. _It's a crazy idea…but maybe he's right; it could help. Maybe I wouldn't be so afraid…if I knew who was behind the wolf. Either that, or I'll just have a full-out heart attack. _I felt my breath shorten at the thought. I was sure Lucas sensed my anxiety.

"Are you sure?" he said. I nodded.

"For some reason, I trust you," I replied, and truly meant it. There was something about the strange werewolf. Luke got to his feet, making me feel unimaginably small. His eyes glittered with earnestness and mild excitement.

"I promise you'll be fine. Just wait here. I'll be right back," he said, and with one more lingering look he ran off into denser forest, too far for my human eyes to detect him in the blackness of the night. I stood and began to pace to ease my nerves. _This is suicide. Why did I agree this? I have panic attacks just seeing _memories _of wolves. _

Every second felt like a millennia as I waited for Lucas to return. Then I heard a soft rustle nearby. My head turned toward the sound. A muzzle peaked out from behind an ancient, wide-trunked conifer.

"Alright. I-I'm ready," I stuttered, barely above a whisper. I took in a sharp breath as an enormous wolf, its pelt the color of newfallen snow, revealed himself to me. He stood about twenty feet away, his head low and submissive, though I didn't think it possible for the werewolf to make himself look defenseless. Trying to control my breathing, I motioned for Luke to come closer. He padded toward me, foot by foot, until he stood within twelve inches of me. I felt my heart begin to race as his sheer size became apparent; the top of his head was level with my chest. He whined ever so softly as he took in my tension, then shifted his weight onto his haunches and lied on the ground, resting his head between his forepaws. He looked up at me with expression that clearly said 'Better?'

"Yes, much better," I reassured him. In that position, I thought I would be able to tolerate his proximity. I licked my dry lips, trying to gather my courage.

"I'm going to try something, Luke. Stay very still for me," I said to the large animal, finding it hard to accept that the boy I just had a conversation with had transformed into the object of my nightmares. The wolf remained motionless, the gently rise and fall of his sides as he respired the only indication of life.

I crouched in front of him and, slowly, tentatively, I reached a trembling, sweaty hand to his head. I took steady, deep breaths as I laced my fingers through the thick, perfectly white fur, finding that it was pleasantly soft underneath its coarse outer layer. And as I began to stroke him as I would any dog, I felt my tension begin to ebb. He looked up at the touch, and I noted that his eyes were the same crystal blue as they were in his human form. They were beautiful eyes, set into a lupine face that was equally as magnificent. He was enormous, and undeniably dangerous, but for the first time I saw not a bloodthirsty monster, but a powerful predator, as perfect as nature intended it to be.

I withdrew my hand, still feeling my heart flutter at his proximity. I was nervous, but for once I was not stricken with fear. I cupped his erect ear with my hand, leaned closer and whispered, "Thank-you."

I took me a moment to realize that the low thumping that commenced was Luke's heavily furred tail thudding against the earth. The action was so innocent, so puppy-like that I had to smile. I nearly jumped out of my skin as Luke lifted his sleek head and lashed out a slobbery tongue that thoroughly wet half of my face. Before I could recoil, the wolf was on his feet and running into the trees.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sometime later I rejoined the group, beginning to think that I may just get to watch the sun rise. Vampires were not inconvenienced by the mortal need to sleep, but I sure as hell needed some rest. As we finally departed Jesse came up next to me, a playful smirk on his face.

"_What, _Jesse?" I sighed, knowing he was about to get on my case about _something._

"I saw one of the werewolves follow you into the woods. From the way he ogled you, I would say you have an admirer," he told me. I had wondered the same thing myself. Lucas had been overtly kind to me, especially considering that I was no more than a stranger to him.

I waved him off. "Please, he only wanted to talk. It didn't go past casual conversation," I lied, not wanting to detail what exactly _had_ occurred. He gave me a devilish grin.

"Is that so? You two were out there an awfully long time."

"Are you keeping tabs on me now, Jesse?" I teased back. He didn't reply to that one. I smiled.

"Do I sense some jealousy?" I probed.

A moment passed, and then he admitted with a grin, "Maybe a little." With that, he ignited and took to the sky, brilliant as a streaking comet. I sprinted into the dark forest after the Cullens.


	11. Outsiders

**Finally I found the time to update! For those of you still reading, I appreciate your patience. Please review if you would like, I really do appreciate hearing what you think of it! :)  
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The Cullens went off hunting when we returned, wanting to take advantage of the mere three hours left before dawn. We thought this to be the ideal time to contact Storm.

As her face came into view on the display, I had the distinct feeling that we had woken her from sleep. Her snow-white hair was slightly in disarray, and I detected the faint beginnings of dark circles under her eyes. Her expression, however, was as alert and intent as ever. It was hard to imagine her behaving as anything other than the self-sacrificing leader of the X-men.

"My apologies for the late—or rather, early—time. The Cullens are currently away, so we thought we would seize the opportunity. Unfortunately, we have not gained much more information on the Volturi, but I believe from our previous descriptions of their abilities you can gather that the vampires are formidable opponents," I began. Storm nodded, but her face indicated that her mind was on something other than my voice.

"Formidable would be the way to describe them," she mused, a strange tone to her voice. She shut her eyes and let out a long, slow breath, before again focusing her piercing gaze on us.

"Jesse. Brooke." She met each of our eyes in turn. "There's been a change of plans. As you know, the "disease" has been proclaimed a global pandemic, the disappearances are causing an uproar. We practically have every government official clamoring at our doors for an explanation. Yes—the people have concluded that no human could have caused this. They want answers, and they want them now. Tomorrow, on national television, we are going to expose vampires as the cause. It will be a shock, no doubt, but after accepting the existence of mutants vampires shouldn't be much more of a stretch. The Concord kept the existence of vampires a secret, but due to the Volturi's actions its terms are now void."

"And this changes our instructions how?" Jesse asked, impatience in his voice. He was never one for long speeches. Ororo gave him a stern look.

"I'm getting there. We do not know how the Volturi and the rest of the vampire community will react to the exposure. It could possibly prompt a premature strike, which would put the both of you in unnecessary danger. You are to depart immediately after this conversation and seek the safety of the jet. But remain in the area; I will be sending reinforcements to assist you in the elimination." I felt a knot build in my throat.

"Elimination? You want us to kill the Cullens?" I choked out, not believing my ears. Her brow furrowed as she examined me.

"That would be the meaning of elimination, Brooke, if killing actually applies to creatures who are already long deceased." I was appalled by her callousness. I began to shake my head in disbelief.

"Is there something wrong, Brooke?" she stated, closely scrutinizing me.

"You can't. You're wrong about them." My voice was carefully controlled, defiance ringing slightly in my tone. Jesse glanced at me, wide-eyed. Storm's dark eyes visibly lightened before fading back to brown, a clear sign that she was trying to control her anger. If she wanted to get into a shouting match, I was more than ready for her. My tantrums could be pretty fantastic. Her lips pursed as she spoke.

"I should have known you were still harboring feelings for those _parasites_," she stated, almost spitting the word. She turned her attention to Jesse. "And you also share her feelings?" The way she said it, it was almost as if she dared him to defy her. Jesse swallowed, hesitating for a moment.

"Yes," he said confidently. "The Cullens are pose no threat to humans or mutants. You and I both know that they feed on the blood of animals." His tone was flat, though I felt his body temperature rise by at least twenty degrees.

"Do not lecture me," she snapped. Her eyes faded to light brown and remained that way. "An alternative lifestyle does not prove their innocence. Should the Volturi succeed in gaining power over the rest of us, vampires would become the dominant species. Would the Cullens not benefit, despite their unique diet?" She meant it as rhetorical questions, but in my opinion, it warranted an answer.

"No. The Volturi only want power for themselves. They will enslave vampires who do not concede to their plans to aggressively control the other species," I affirmed. I could almost feel the electricity she had begun to generate, bringing volume to her sleep-flattened hair.

"And I'm sure this is the nonsense that that Cullens fed you. I am shocked and disappointed that two seasoned X-men could be so naïve," Storm seethed.

"And what, o great leader, would possibly prove their innocence to you?" I retorted. "How can you assume their guilt without giving them a chance to defend themselves?"

"Because, Brooke, they are not innocent. As vampires, their survival depends on the victimization of the innocent. Their existence is a danger to the world." Jesse's hands clenched in irritation.

"They have existed alongside us for centuries, but now that they are a danger your solution is to slaughter the entire race?" Jesse fumed. "That doesn't strike you as even slightly inhumane?" She flashed him a look that could kill.

"The vampires had their chance. They have made their intentions clear," she stated, though she did not directly answer Jesse's questions.

"No, Ororo. The Volturi had their chance. The others have no part in their plans. Will you condemn the whole for the actions of the few?" I challenged. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. My voice quieted.

"By your logic, mutants should have been eliminated long before the vampires. But you would never authorize the elimination of mutants because of a few dangerous ones, would you?" I finished. Storm's expression was hard, her eyes now a filmy white.

"My course of action is set. Are the two of you so sure of your convictions? Will you move against this organization?" Our silence was her answer.

"Then so be it. Jesse Storm. Brooke Howlett. The two of you are formally discharged from the X-men." Her words were like a blow I could not heal from. I could scarcely believe that the organization that defined me for so long would no longer be a part of my life. Right then, I felt part of my identity wither and die. But I didn't give her the satisfaction of seeing me wilt.

"Discharged?" I scoffed. "Please, there's no need. I quit." I terminated the connection, unable to look at her face for a moment longer. In a fit of anger, I threw the communicator to the ground, rose to my feet and brought my foot down upon it, the blow yielding a satisfying crunch. I looked at the destroyed device, my anger evaporating. _What have we done?_ _Did we just isolate ourselves from the only group that accepted us as equals?_ Jesse laid a hand on my shoulder, which I first assumed to be a gesture of comfort. But there was an urgency to it. I looked at him, but his head was turned away from me. I followed his eyes.

Edward stood there, with his arms crossed and his set in a firm line, pale and rigid as a marble statue. My breath caught in my throat.

"I should have suspected you were hiding something when you began to shield your minds from me. But I didn't. Foolish of me." His voice was low, accusatory. Then we were surrounded on all sides as the remainder of the Cullens hemmed in around us. Their expressions were identically emotionless, eyes as black and unfeeling as coals. They had never seemed more dangerous.

Jesse tensed beside me. My body tingled, itching to change. My mind raced for an explanation, a way to pacify them.

"Edward I—" I began.

"No need for explanations. You befriended us, then used us for information that could be advantageous in destroying us. Now your superior ordered you to kill us." The guilt I felt was palpable. We _had _used them…but I had never wanted this, never expected that Storm would want them dead.

My eyes were downcast as I spoke. "We never meant to hurt you." I looked around at their rigid forms. "Any of you. Yes, we were ordered to gather information about vampires that would be useful in fighting them. But I assure you that our friendship was sincere, and that Jesse and I will never move to hurt anyone of your family." Jesse nodded in agreement, though the rising heat of his body told me he was prepared to fight if things got ugly.

Things moved very fast then as I felt a cold arm clench tightly around my waist. A quick inhale brought an overpowering sweet scent into my nostrils; I recognized it as Edward's. His head leaned close to my throat, sending my heart fluttering. My nerves were on fire; I fought to resist the change.

"Are you so sure? How do you know that we aren't just the monsters your race condemns us to be?" he whispered threateningly into my ear. I could feel the butterfly caress of his lips on my skin, his breath so icy it raised goosebumps. Jesse's eyes blazed white as he stepped closer. Edward's grip tightened.

"Jesse. Don't," I warned him. I made sure to keep my tone carefully devoid of my fear. I couldn't hide my racing heart from Edward, but I knew that if Jesse sensed my fear, there would be no stopping him from getting me out of danger. The other vampires stiffened; whether they had expected Edward's onslaught I did not know. I tried not to focus on the proximity of his fangs as I spoke.

"I know you won't hurt me," I said, barely above a whisper. I lowered my mental defenses so that he would know my words were truth. _And you're no more of a monster than I am you're enemy,_ I added silently. I knew my answer had an effect when his vice-like grip slackened. He gave a low growl as he withdrew from me, so quickly that his motions were a blur. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Enough, Edward," Bella spoke up, shooting him a stern glance. He growled slightly, but quieted. She scooped up the shattered communicator and brandished it as if it were a testament to our innocence.

"Whether the mutants are planning to kill us or not is not the point here. The point is that Jesse and Brooke disobeyed these orders. They exiled themselves from the X-men. For us."

"They've put this family in danger, nonetheless," Jasper pointed out. "I warned you all earlier that the mutants wouldn't be so keen to trust the one race they've been at odds with for centuries."

"You're wrong, Jasper. The mutants knew where we were located before they ever arrived. If they planned to kill us, they were going to do so from the beginning." She paused to regard the communicator once more. "Brooke and Jesse had no idea they would be asked to do anything more than get information. Their actions were innocent. They won't hurt us, just as we wouldn't move to harm them," Bella finished. I had wanted to make the same argument, but I doubted that it would have had the same impact on the Cullens as it did coming from one of their own. They visibly relaxed, though distrust was still heavy in their expressions.

"We're sorry," I said, a pathetic apology for what the mutants had planned for them. "But if you'll still accept our friendship, we will do our best to defend you, to prove your innocence." Jesse remained silent, undoubtedly still holding some resentment towards Edward from before.

Rosalie snorted at the suggestion. "We don't need our innocence proven. Know this, Brooke. If your friends come looking for a fight, they'll get one. You can fight with us or against us; it makes no difference to me. But if you choose the latter, do not expect any mercy from _me_," she spat. With that, she was gone.

Carlisle came forward and put a hand on each of our shoulders. I shot Jesse a warning look not to shrug him off. "Please disregard Rosalie. She is…defensive to say the least. I am sorry this turn of events has created friction, but know that it has not affected the friendship my family has extended to you. As Bella illustrated, you had no say in the actions of your superiors, just as we have no control over the actions of the Volturi. You both remain welcome among us, regardless of what your future course of action will be."

Emmett chuckled mildly, dissipating much of the tension. All heads turned toward him. "Well, at we all have one thing in common."

"And what's that?" Jesse challenged, as if offended by the idea of being compared to them.

"We're all rejects of our own kind. Outsiders," he responded.

_Outsiders_. I suppose it did suit us, but most especially myself. I realized that I'd felt like an outsider long before this day.


	12. Vision

**Chapter 12**

The scent of pine resin was pungent in my nostrils as I lay in the high reaches of an evergreen, bathed in the few shafts of moonlight that penetrated the forest canopy. I licked the remains of the blood of my kill from my paws, mountain lion formed, and swatted the remains of the rabbit carcass aside for the rest of the forest creatures to do with it as they may. I desperately needed an escape from the chaos that had become my life, and what better way than to give into the animal, to allow myself to be contented solely by the satisfaction of basic physical desires. But there was no hiding from the human side of myself, and the mountain lion instinct wrestled with my own. I was healthy, sheltered, and my hunger was sated, what more could I ask for? I could almost hear the puma question. It could never comprehend the constant dissatisfaction with life that often came with human rationality.

_Outsider. _The word repeated itself over and over again. Granted, I had never been one for extensive social interaction. Even before my mutant powers emerged, I had always been somewhat of a loner. But the word stung, and stung deeply. I didn't belong in the world of humans, certainly not in the world of vampires or werewolves. Now I was exiled from the only group where I had felt a sense of belonging. And once again, I felt terribly alone.

'_Brooke, is that you?' _came an ethereal I jumped to my feet, so startled that I nearly fell from my perch. I turned my head this way and that, ears swiveling to detect the source of the sound. I quickly realized that the effort was futile; for I had not heard the voice, not in the traditional sense of the word.

'_Damn. You _can_ hear me. Relax, I'm coming up behind you," _the disembodied voice stated, reverberating not from any discernible direction, but from within my own head. _That voice, I know that voice_, I thought.

A branch snapped from a few feet off, and my head reflexively twisted toward the sound. There, emerging from the brush, was a horse-sized wolf, its pearly white fur luminous in the night. _Lucas. _He padded to the base of the tree and stood on his hind legs, propping his forepaws on the rough bark. My leg muscles bunched as I leapt to a higher branch and yowled, baring my sharp canines. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to silence the mountain lion's instinctive fear of the werewolf.

'_Sorry. I didn't mean that,' _I thought, wishing for human vocal chords. My yet unconquered fear of wolves, coupled with the puma's strong desire to flee, had caused a brief lapse in the control of my animal form. Lucas dropped to all fours once more and took a few steps backwards. He cocked his head to one side, as if to say 'Better?'

'_It's ok, I get it. Reflex, right?' _came the sound of his voice in my head. _Wait, he heard my thought? _I felt confused, and terribly invaded. I immediately brought up mental barriers, trying to shield myself as I would from Edward and other telepaths. He looked up at that, with an expression that I could have sworn was the wolf equivalent of regret. '_If you're willing to stay put for a minute, I'll explain everything," _Lucas stated, his voice just as clear as before, barreling through every mental blockade I had put in place. Now I was extremely confused. _How is he penetrating my mental shield so easily?_

Before I could question him, he turned heel and vanished behind a rise about half a mile in the distance. Approximately two minutes later, I heard soft footfalls, but this time a fully human Lucas approached the tree, wearing nothing more than a pair of black sweatpants. And displaying a perfectly sculpted torso, I couldn't help but think. I cursed silently, hoping he didn't hear that thought. He looked up at me, his startling blue eyes distinct against his tan skin.

"I'll give you a moment," he said, offering to give me some privacy so that I could revert to human form. I shook my head, assuring him it wasn't necessary. Of course, the thought of having anyone see me mid-change was mildly revolting, but I wasn't about to waste time because of my self-consciousness.

I focused, feeling my nerves tingle as I mentally reached for my human self. I winced as heat flushed through my body, a sharp burning sensation spreading over every square inch of skin as the change took hold. Sandy fur shrank back in human skin, the digits of my forepaws elongated into fingers, and my spine crunched and shortened as my tail disappeared. A few more seconds of bone snapping and what I could imagine were fairly grotesque body contortions, and I was human once more, my hands still gripping the tree branch. Deftly, I lowered myself to the ground from my vantage point, again taken aback by just how tall Lucas was.

"Wow, where can I get one of those?" he said, gesturing at my black leather X-suit. Each member of the X-men had a customized uniform, designed to accommodate their unique powers. In my case, the suit changed form as I did, becoming a part of me when I shifted, and reappearing when I became human. It effectively eliminated the inconvenience of having to bring a set of clothes along wherever I went. The werewolves, as I could plainly see, did not have that luxury.

"A perk of being part of the X-men," I said with pride, only to be rewarded with a pang of sorrow. _Or at least a former perk. _A hint of a smile flitted across Luke's features, but it was quickly doused as he was reminded of what he had yet to explain.

"Walk with me," he said, and turned to stride deeper into the woods. I followed, eager for an explanation of our strange encounter.

**Jesse**

It's not easy to sleep in a house full of vampires. The Cullens has assured us that we were still welcome in their home, despite the fact that our own kind was coming to annihilate them. They were more forgiving than I would have been in their situation, that's for sure.

Hell, I needed sleep more than the vampires needed blood, but with Rosalie shooting daggers at me with her eyes at every opportunity, coupled with the lingering mistrust I had for Edward after threatening Brooke last night, rest wasn't going to come anytime soon. Two hours of fitful half-sleep and I had forced myself to get up, finding Brooke gone. As I came down the stairs to the main area of the house, Edward's eyes immediately met mine, having heard my mentally voiced concerns. I put up my mental defenses. _Damn intruding parasite. _I suppose I had to trust him at this point, and in the beginning I did, but threatening Brooke Howlett's life was a surefire way to bring that trust into question.

"Brooke left about an hour ago. She had a lot on her mind," Edward answered my thought about her whereabouts, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. His eyes were darker than I had remembered, not the liquid gold hue they usually reflected.

I nodded at him. Brooke had been an introvert for as long as I'd known her. She was like her father in that respect. In response to stress, she often sought solitude. I had no doubt she was fine; Brooke could take care of herself, but I wished she would express herself rather than internalize her emotions. It took a toll on her, exhausting her psychologically. She was trying to open up, as hard as it was for her, but was still having trust issues. Joking and flirting aside, when it came down to it I cared about that girl, possibly more than anyone else I had ever known. I vowed to help her heal in any way I could.

"Jesse, how long do you think we have before they arrive?" said Carlisle. I thought about that for a moment. It hadn't taken Brooke and me long to arrive, not in a jet that fast. That reminded of the cloaked jet we still had waiting for us that we could potentially use to get the Cullens away from here altogether. But it would do no good. Running would get us into more trouble. The X-men would find us, and then there would be no hope for negotiation.

"Not long. It's been a day now. They could get here any minute," I said honestly. The Cullen clan's attention was fixed on me, their white faces, perfect as marble statues, all sharing the same solemn expression. Guilt washed over me. They were vampires, creatures I thought I could never have any feelings for, but they were more human than I could have ever imagined them to be. They were also innocent, not in any way responsible for the disappearances or the Volturi's actions. And now they were about to be killed just for existing. It didn't have to be this way. It wouldn't. Storm may be absolutely off her rocker, but the rest of the X-men couldn't be so callous. _I hope. _

Jasper nodded, his eyes intent. "How many?"

"Most likely six, with one to call the shots," I responded. There was a nagging sensation of guilt in the pit of my stomach. This felt wrong, like I was betraying my comrades, defending vampires over the X-men I had fought alongside for years.

_No. It wouldn't come to that. I won't let this confrontation get physical. Lives will not be lost on either side, not on my watch. _

"Sneak attack?" Emmett inquired. I shook my head and smiled.

"Be kind of hard to sneak up on something that doesn't sleep, wouldn't it?" I answered. Emmett chuckled, a deep bellowing sound.

"He's got a point," he admitted. When silence befell the group one more, Carlisle took the opportunity to speak.

"I wanted to thank you and your partner for your support. With any luck your sacrifice will not go unrewarded," he stated, golden eyes sharp in his angled face. Rosalie stiffened, jumping to her feet with disturbing swiftness.

"_Thank _them?" she hissed, her eyes wild with fury. "You can't be serious, Carlisle. Thanking them is the last thing we should do. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't even-."

"Enough, Rosalie," Edward interrupted. Her hard eyes shot in his direction, every muscle rigid. Emmett stood to put a gentle hand on her shoulder, gently coaxing her to sit once more.

Bella jumped in. "We've gone over this. It wasn't Jesse or Brooke that brought attention to us. That was the Volturi's doing."

"Well said, Bella. The mutants are only responding to what appears to be a gross breach of the conditions of Concord of the Supernaturals. They have no reason to believe that any vampire, as few in number as we are, are above suspicion," Carlisle explained.

"Alice? Alice, what's wrong?" Jasper said. I turned my attention from the fuming Rosalie to see Alice huddled in a corner, her knees drawn up to her chest. Her face was devoid of emotion, her topaz eyes blank and unseeing. Jasper shook her gently.

"What's happening to her?" I said, concern in my voice.

"She's having a vision," Edward explained, focusing on her. Immediately his lips pulled back, and he growled in frustration, having read her mind. "It's too soon." The clan of vampires turned to look at him.

"What has she seen?" Carlisle inquired, worry plain in his eyes. Alice blinked, her eyes suddenly clear. She stared at Carlisle in fear.

"Newborns. In Forks. At least fifty of them," she said.

"Will they attack? Who is in danger?" Edward said. She closed her eyes in an attempt to see more. Within a moment she responded.

"They plan to attack, and they will be here soon. I'm trying to see what happens after that, but then the vision goes black, which could only mean that—"

"Either the werewolves or the mutants are going to be involved," Edward finished.

"Christ, Brooke is out there!" I realized in horror. She wouldn't stand a chance, not against fifty vampires. I made for the door as my body temperature escalated, my veins glowing like molten lava.

"Jesse, wait!" Edward pleaded. I ignored him, running for the foyer, my feet beginning to smolder the hardwood floor, the scent of smoke permeating the air. I wrenched the front door open, allowing the flames to consume me in a burst of brilliant light. The intense heat of my body replenished the strength in my muscles as I launched myself into the night sky. I cared little about the attention a conspicuous jet of flame streaking through the air would draw. Brooke was the only thing that mattered.


	13. Imprint

**Brooke**

We wove through the trees in silence under the light of the moon, painfully aware of the feeling of anticipation that was almost palpable in the surrounding air. I couldn't stand it for another moment.

"Alright, Luke, I'm all ears," I said, eager to hear an explanation for the uncanny mind connection between us. "Why can I hear your thoughts? More importantly, how in the world are you hearing mine?" I noted, however, that are minds were once again closed to each other.

He abruptly paused mid-stride, pale eyes nervously flickering to mine. "It's a werewolf thing," he stated simply. My brow furrowed in confusion.

"Mind-reading is a werewolf thing? Since when?" I demanded. Luke's hands went up in his defense.

"Woah hold on, Brooke. Don't jump to conclusions. If you let me finish—without interrupting," he shot me a look, "then you'll understand…I hope." Lucas appeared anxious once more; he shifted his weight from foot to foot. He ceased doing so when he caught me observing. I eyed him warily and sighed.

"Then get on with it. Please. I don't think I can stand this anticipation for one more second," I replied. I was being snippy, I knew. But what could be so damn hard to say? He looked at the ground, again beginning to shift uneasily.

"Well…I guess I can explain it like this. Have you ever seen ducklings follow their mother?" He began. I arched one eyebrow at him.

"Is this relevant?" I asked. He looked mildly stung. "Sorry. I won't interrupt anymore. Yes, I've seen them. Continue."

"Ok, so ducklings follow their mothers around because when they hatch, she's the first animal they see, and until they are old enough to live on their own, she is the most important thing in their lives. The word for it is imprinting. Werewolves use that word to describe something similar…but instead of our mothers, we imprint on our mates." His eyes caught mine for a split second, gauging my reaction.

"So you've been following me around because you _imprinted _on me, which is your way of saying you have an absurd werewolf crush? I like you, Luke, but you're taking this a little far when you say that we're mates. And I find it extremely hard to believe that you're blaming this on some instinct found in juvenile birds—"

"It's more complicated than that, Brooke," he jumped in. I looked at his face, noticing that his mouth was set in a firm line. He was serious, and I had a sinking feeling that what he was trying to explain to me was something more than adolescent infatuation.

"This isn't a crush," Lucas continued. "When I first laid eyes on you sitting at the edge of that cliff, and you looked back at us, that did it. I imprinted, and thanks to my mental connection to the Pack in wolf form they all knew it. It's a bizarre thing that happens to all of the werewolves. At some point, we all imprint on someone to be our mate. Ever since I saw you I've been hooked, and I can't get you out of my thoughts. You're always there, somewhere in the back of my mind, and I feel this constant urge to protect you, to follow you and make sure you're safe." It took me a moment to take it all in. Did he really expect me to be his _mate_? I looked at the ground, trying to phrase my question correctly.

"Can't you just…I don't know _unimprint_? I mean you barely _know _me, Luke." He shook his head vigorously.

"You're not getting it. Do you think I _want _this? Do you think I want to be obsessively attracted to someone I hardly know a thing about, someone who I know realistically cannot be my mate?" A wave of pity washed over me for Luke, who was now leaning against the nearest tree, his face in his overgrown hands. It made sense now. Edward's words rung clear in my head: '_You wolves do make a mess of things with that.' _By 'that' he could have only been referring to this…this imprinting. An uncontrollable fixation compelled by some strange force stemming from the werewolves' mutant abilities. Our encounter in the woods also became clear. He had been so keen on determining if I hated him for being a werewolf, and intent on giving me a positive experience with a wolf. I understood now. I couldn't imagine how unbearable it would be for your chosen mate to hate you for what you were.

Luke didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve to be left heart-broken by a woman who not only must leave him, never to be seen again, but also had a deathly fear of wolves. I longed to grasp this invisible magnetic force pulling him to me and shatter it. I wished to set him free. But I knew Luke's wolf could care less about my thoughts on the matter. The animal mind could be so infuriatingly unyielding.

One question still lingered. "And the mind connection? Is that part of imprinting, too?" I said gently, not wanting to upset him further. Luke stood up straight, composing himself.

"From what I gather, yes and no. Most of the wolves imprint on humans, but never before have their minds connected. I'm guessing that because your abilities are so similar to ours, that imprinting on you automatically united you into the Pack, and so when you change into an animal, your thoughts intermingle with any of us that happen to be in wolf form," he stated, clearly drained from trying to convey all of this to me properly.

"And this…this is permanent?" I didn't like the idea of forever having my thoughts privy to the werewolves for the rest of my natural life. My reaction clearly upset him further. He looked pained.

"As far as I know…yes. He laid a large palm on my shoulder. I-I'm sorry, Brooke. I knew this would never work, and I wanted to tell you sooner." I saw the beginnings of tears at the corners of his eyes. "I didn't ask for this anymore than you did. But you needed to understand."

"I appreciate it, Luke. Really, I do. Before I leave, we'll figure something out. We have to," I paused, realizing Lucas was no longer paying attention to me. His ice-blue eyes seemed very far away. His nostrils flared.

His grip tightened on my shoulder, uncomfortably so. "Do you smell that?" he asked, a hint of panic in his voice. I sniffed briefly, and nearly gagged as an overwhelming sweet scent assaulted my nostrils. Silence had fallen over the normally active forest. _Christ, not again._

I watched as white fur began to force its way through the pores of Luke's hands. He released me and doubled over, unable to resist the transformation any longer. I forced myself to look away as the object of my nightmares consumed the human Luke. _Vampires. But where?_

And then I saw her. The lean figure, her skin a pearly white, sidled out from behind a conifer. Her straggly, brown hair hung limply over her shoulders, and only tatters of her clothing still remained. But her face was flawless, as all the vampires were. Her lips peeled back in a self-satisfied smile, baring her needle sharp canines. I found myself unable to look away from her penetrating eyes, which glowed hellfire red.

Luke snarled, a deep canine growl that could only be achieved by an animal of his size. Pairs of scarlet eyes appeared behind the first woman, as one by one more vampires emerged from their hiding places. My eyes widened, horror-struck, as I observed them slinking toward me. They eyed me hungrily, as a lion would a zebra, every trace of their former humanity washed from their features. These were not the Cullens; these were the vampires I had always seen in my nightmares. And I knew for a fact that there were far too many of them for Luke and I to handle alone. The wolf beside me snarled viciously and dove at the lead female as the rest of the vampires sprinted toward us with blinding speed.

**Jesse**

_I'm never going to find her like this_, I thought as I scanned the dense treetops. Not only was the forest enormous, but the tree cover was impenetrable. I squinted at the black forest below me. Despite the dim glow my flames cast on the black foliage, there was no way I'd see anything through it. I had a number of useful talents; night vision was not one of them. I dived toward the forest floor, contracting the fire to the outline of my body as well as I could. As Brooke had said, the last thing I needed was to start a forest fire.

I landed lightly on the pine needle bed, quickly extinguishing my feet when I saw the unfortunate plant life beneath me smolder instantaneously. I relaxed the mental hold on my flames otherwise, allowing the fire to bloom around me, flicking irritably as a reflection of my current state of mind. The fire was part of me, an inseparable extension of myself.

I groaned when I realized that I was worse off down here. I illuminated an area about twenty feet in diameter. Beyond that, I was greeted by a wall of inky blackness, the ominous shadows of conifers looming just at the edge of my ring of light. _Christ, Brooke. Where are you?_ I moved forward on foot, in no particular direction. It felt good to keep moving, to do _something_.

Despite the apparent uselessness of my eyes, I scanned the area around me warily. I was hyper aware. I couldn't quite pinpoint it, but there was something wrong here. I could hear the dull roar of my fire and branches snapping beneath my feet. But other than that? Nothing. Absolute silence. Uneasiness crept into my subconscious. I gritted my teeth. I never felt so on edge.

A shiver went down my spine when I heard a light giggle from somewhere in the shadowy forest. I tensed, doing a full one eighty. _Shit. Looks like they've found me._ I balled fire in my hands, waiting for the monster to strike. Seconds of silence, stretching into an eternity. I could feel the blood flowing through every capillary of my body, adrenaline jump starting my heart.

"Where are you, you son of a bitch? I'm ready," I challenged the darkness. I saw her a moment too late, a mere flicker in my peripheral vision as the vampire launched herself from a thirty foot perch in the trees, a scarlet-eyed demon with her impressive fangs bared. I let the first fire ball loose and missed her by a hair. She leaped to another tree with the ease of the most talented primate, and within I fraction of a second came at me with a feral hiss. I braced myself, unprepared for her speed.

_Thud. _No attack. Just a soft thud. _What just happened?_ I held my arm out and exuded a jet of flame, illuminating more of the forest before me. "Shit!" I jumped back quickly when I saw the vampire's face no more than two feet from mine, her face contorted into snarl. Unmoving. Over my initial start, I dared to look again. There, in mid leap, her hands contorted into claws, her legs still angled toward the tree she had sprung from, the vampire was poised, entirely encased in an irregular block of solid glittering ice. The ice began to perspire from my proximity to it, beads of water racing down the vampire's encased form. I backed off, not wanting to allow the bloodsucker to escape. I couldn't hold back the grin or the light chuckle that overcame me just then.

"You looked pretty damn scared for someone that's been getting cozy with parasites," came a familiar voice. I looked past the vampire icicle to see Bobby Drake, aka Iceman, enter my illuminated halo, his body glittering like diamond.

"Scared? Please, I had her," I retorted. He raised a frozen eyebrow at me. Amazing how something made of solid ice could somehow convey facial expressions.

"Sure you did. Looks like you had it all under control," Iceman rolled his eyes at the attacking vampire.

"Give me a break, Bobby, I can't see shit out here." That had him cracking a smile. He stepped closer to me, holding out his hand. I took it in mine and squeezed, an eruption of steam resulting as the heat of my fire met his wintry palm. He squeezed back, smirking, and I winced as a penetrating wave of cold doused the flames of my hand and frost encased it. I let go; the pain was too much. I welcomed the fire back to my frozen hand. "Do you _always _have to win?" He laughed.

"Well I'm not about to let _you _show me up." I'd get him. One day. Bobby, being ten years my senior, had developed his mutant abilities so that he wasn't just covered in ice; every molecule of his body became a living crystalline solid. The development made him significantly more powerful than I was. The humor quickly faded from his face.

"So the vampires turned on you after all?" he asked. I shook my head.

"It's not that simple. That wasn't one of the Cullens. That was…something else. There're vamps crawling all the forest, but I have no clue how many. The Cullens are on our side, no matter what Ororo says to the contrary."

Iceman crossed his arms over his chest. "Is that so? If that's true, then where are they now?" My brow furrowed in frustration and anger, and I could feel my body temperature climb even higher and the fire rage stronger about me. I wondered briefly how high it could get, but I never had the means to actually test it. I was off the charts for most instruments.

"I don't need you to believe me, and seeing that I'm not part of this team, I don't need to explain myself to you." The suspicion in his face wavered briefly; I knew that stung. I brushed him off.

"Bobby, thanks for the help. But I gotta go find Brooke. Whoever you have with you, we could use your help to get rid of the vampires. But I'm warning you. We _will _defend the Cullens. I don't want this to come to a fight, but I won't hold back if it does." I turned my back on him and started walking into the darkness. It took a lot of strength to do that to one of my closest comrades.

"Wait," he said suddenly. I glanced at his glistening form over my shoulder. "I don't think I know anyone who valued their place with us more than you and Brooke. If you say the Cullens are with us, then I believe you." I almost smiled in triumph, but kept my composure. Instead, I turned quickly and sent a blast of white hot flames at the frozen vampire. She screamed as the fire torched through the ice and licked her diamond hard skin. She writhed as I kept up the steady stream of fire, but her movements were short-lived as she was reduced to ash. Bobby looked alarmed at the abruptness of my attack. I withdrew the fire and balled my hands into fists, flashing him a half smile.

"Then let's go roast some vampires."


	14. The Xmen

**If you're enjoying this fanfic, please review if you have the time! I really would like to know what I'm doing right and where I can improve. Thanks so much and enjoy! **

**And in case you're wondering, Taryn, who makes an appearance in this chapter, is a character I made up and not based on anyone in the Marvel universe.**

**Chapter 14**

**Jesse **

Iceman careened ahead of me on an undulating path of ice, surfing across the slick surface at an astonishing speed. I wouldn't let him know it, but I was putting in a bit more effort than usual to keep pace flying alongside him.

The forest was still black as pitch, and as far as I was concerned, I was back to square one searching for Brooke, even with another set of eyes on the carpet of foliage that blurred past us.

Then I heard it: a ferocious roar reverberated through the forest slightly northeast of us. I stopped instantaneously and hovered in place, while Bobby slid into a hairpin turn to meet me, where he surfed in a slow, wide arc about me. At least for staying put, my method of travel was far more efficient. Another roar, from more or less the same spot. _Now, I don't know much about ecology, but I know enough to rule out the possibility of lions in Washington. _I made eye contact with Bobby, who nodded. We dived toward the trees. I spotted the behemoth white wolf first as it fell upon one of the snarling vampires. A terrifying roar, made all the more threatening by my proximity to it, had me pinpointing the source in a fraction of a second. There, in the middle of a fray of at least fifteen hissing and leaping vampires, was a seven foot tall tawny beast with a maned lion's head atop of a furred body thick with corded muscle. The perfect blend of human an animal: Brooke's lion half form.

She roared again, clawing at the blonde male that had jumped onto her back. I gunned it, wanting to reach her before the vamps could do any real damage.

"The others?" I called to Bobby.

"Zeroing in," he replied.

**Brooke**

I reached back and grabbed the vampire's head in my clawed hands and wrenched him forward, adrenaline singing in my veins. His hands raked across my back like knives and I growled as I felt the warmth of my blood matting my fur. The lion in me was enraged.

I yanked him over me as he struggled, digging those white fingers deep into my skin as he tried to pry my pan sized mitts from either side of his skull. But I had him right where I wanted him. Both humans and lions are normally easy prey for a vampire. But like the werewolves, I was neither human nor animal. I remembered the long scratches I'd left across Rosalie's rock hard forearm. My massive biceps tensed as I twisted the head in my hands and a metallic screech ensued. The vampire screamed, and I twisted harder.

_Not human._

_Not animal. _

The head came off the vampire's neck as the useless body crumpled, twitching frantically.

_Stronger than both._

The vampires danced around me, flipping and spiraling, calculating my weaknesses as they dived to scratch and feint away. I growled in frustration. Their dizzying acrobatics were almost as hard to keep track of as Spider-man's…and that was saying something. There were still so many, despite the damage Luke and I had done. Like a hydra, it seemed that for every vampire slain, three more would appear to take its place. If the Cullens and Jesse didn't find us soon, I didn't think I'd make it out of this fight in one piece.

I detected the light a split second before the fireball nailed the vampire closest to my left. My head whirled to see the streaking comet of fire explode into the forest. _Jesse!_ I almost yelled in happiness if I had human vocal chords. He gave me a quick once over with his glowing, white-hot eyes, as if assessing the damage. I knew for a fact that I looked far worse than I was; the wounds underlying the bloodied patches of my fur were well on their way to healing completely. I shot him a look of reassurance. Well, at least the best reassuring look I could manage with a lion's face. He smirked at me, and with new vigor turned his attention to the vampires that were warily approaching him. I would think twice too, if I were a vampire. _Don't play with fire, parasites, or you're gonna get burned._ Not far behind, I saw Bobby Drake glide gracefully into the battle as he leapt off his ice platform and sent a blast of ice at the nearest trio of vamps, freezing them solid. _Nice_, I thought, but was rewarded with a pang of nostalgia. Now that I was discharged, this would probably be the last time I would ever fight on the same battlefield with the X-men.

_'Brooke, look out! Above you!' _came the disembodied voice in my head that was becoming increasingly familiar, but no less unnerving. I still wasn't quite comfortable with this mind connection thing with Lucas…but in this case I was grateful for it.

'_Thanks, Luke' _I thought back as I leapt lithely out of the way on all fours when a red-haired female dove from the trees. I turned to prepare for her attack, but I was taken aback when my effort was spared by a sprightly vampire with an instantly recognizable pixie cut. _Alice. _She somehow found the time to turn to me and wink before leaping onto the back of my assailant. So the Cullens had made their entrance.

The golden eyed vampires quickly drew attention as our attackers converged on much more familiar opponents than a lion hybrid, a werewolf, and our fire and ice duo. Despite their skill, they too were becoming overwhelmed, even Jasper and Emmett, who represented the strongest fighters of the clan. _How many of them can their _possibly _be?_ From my peripheral vision I saw Iceman give them a passing glance, but he didn't move to attack them. That gave me hope. _Had Jesse spoken to him earlier? Despite Storm's direct orders to kill the Cullens, was he now on our side?_ I decided not to question it too deeply. I would gladly take another ally. But I did wonder where the others were…

_Boom. Boom. _I felt the vibrations through my padded feet, coming from the dark forest. _Boom. _They vibrations were getting steadily stronger, coming toward us. I felt like I was in a scene from Jurassic Park. Looking in the direction of the vibration, I was half expecting to see a T-rex sauntering through the trees. And then I made out the 500lb juggernaut coming toward us. I smiled what was most certainly a frightening feline grin. _Well if it isn't Piotr Rasputin_ _in the flesh…I mean steel. The cavalry has arrived. _Bobby and Jesse, lacking the night vision of wolves, lions, or vampires, were the last to notice his arrival. Colossus, towering at seven and a half feet in his armored form, entered the fray without a trace of fear in his metallic eyes. And why would he have reason to be afraid? He could convert his body tissues into organic steel, and along with it gained incredible strength.

"What the hell is that?" I heard Emmett say. _Sorry Emmett, but you're no longer the strongest one in this fight. _I just silently hoped Colossus wouldn't turn on the Cullens.

The vampires in the immediate vicinity gave brief pause as Colossus entered, unsure of how to approach yet another unusual target. Clearly they didn't have much experience with mutants. I pounced on a distracted vampire, quickly laying waste to it with my vicious canines. _How's that for fangs? _

Several vampires swarmed Colossus, clawing and biting at his impenetrable skin. They made little progress, but the miniscule scratches I could note were a testament to the strength of the vampires. Nonetheless, Colossus, shrugged them off like flies, tossing one of the vampires like a ragdoll into the high reaches of the nearest tree. With another, he slammed it into the ground, and crushed its head with one steel fist. _Nicely done, Colossus. _

I caught a glimpse of Edward crouched in a predatory stance, his fangs bared. As he tossed a vampire over his head, I spotted another coming at him from behind. I moved, going full lion and sprinted toward it. _Crap, I'm not gonna make it. A lion has no chance in hell at matching the speed of these monsters. _The vampire launched himself at Edward, hissing furiously. I cringed for the impact at same time Edward took notice. He braced himself.

And the vampire went straight through Edward. As if he were no more than a ghost. It was then that I saw the leather clad petite brunette grasping Edward's ankle. _Atta girl, Kitty. _Kitty Pryde, otherwise known as Shadowcat, has the ability to phase through objects, as well as make herself and others intangible. Edward stood, surprised, and stared at Kitty in shock. She flashed him her pretty smile.

"Don't mention it, Cullen," she said, and dashed off. The vampire who had attacked Edward was still reeling from the unexpected collision with the ground. He turned on his heels and attacked again. This time though, Edward was ready. I turned myself to other matters, shifting swiftly into a grizzly bear half form and trading the speed of my lion form for power. _Come at me, vampires._

I spotted the sixteen-year-old Taryn O'Connor from afar, her wild, short curls bouncing. She was a new member of the team, and I was quite surprised that she was assigned to such a high-profile mission. As a vampire leapt at her, she turned and placed her hands on the ground. The earth shook violently, nearly knocking me off my feet. A wall of rock came up around her, thwarting the vamp's attack. _Well, maybe I'm not that surprised. Manipulation of rock and earth is a pretty impressive ability._

I did a quick mental tally. Iceman, Colossus, Shadowcat, Taryn…one to keep the jet humming for a quick getaway if needed. Five in total. There had to be one more. _And I have a distinct feeling that will be—_

"ARGHHH!" _Yep, that was expected. Time for some vampire mince meat. _Running full speed was Logan Howlett, in a pure berserker rage with two foot long adamantium claws poised for the kill. He was wearing the standard black uniform, having cast off the yellow and blue outfit he was once fond of. "To hell with the clown spandex." He told me once when I asked about the change. I laughed inwardly. _Tell that to the rest of the superhero world. _My father, short in stature but built like a brick house, barreled at the nearest vampire, and with one smooth motion beheaded it.

"Hey, Wolvie, how'd you know that would take care of them so fast?" I heard Jesse call as another slew of vampires were reduced to cinder. Wolverine shrugged his broad shoulders.

"Works for most things," he said gruffly. He turned his attention to the vampires, and I saw him pick out Rosalie from the crowd, who was having difficulties of her own. _No. _I stepped in front of him and bellowed, the grizzly's voice reverberating above the roar of battle. Jesse realized what I was attempting to do.

"Logan, don't fight the Cullens. Can't you see they're helping us?" Jesse called to him. Wolverine laughed his gruff laugh, right to my face.

"You gonna fight me, girl? You must take after me with guts like that." With a grunt he slashed to the side, costing a bold vampire an arm. "Listen, kid," he yelled to Jesse. "I didn't come here to kill the Cullens. As long as I seem 'em fighting the same things we're fighting, I ain't gonna lay a claw on them."

Jesse looked at him in shock. "But Storm's orders—"

"Bub, I don't take orders. I'm leading this team." _Ah, Wolverine, stubborn as ever. _Relief washed over me. We wouldn't have to defend the Cullens. We wouldn't have to fight against our friends. I nodded my shaggy head to him in acknowledgement. _Well then, Dad. Let's get this party started. _

I didn't kill but two more vampires before things got very quiet. The vampires, their numbers thinned but still strong, stood stark still, their eyes unfocused.

"Alright. I could get used to the tin man, the ghost, the earth mover, the abominable snowman, and the guy with the retractable steak knives. But _now _what's going on?" Emmett said.

"Good question," Jesse responded. I could hear the quiet roar of his flames.

Then the vampires all turned in the same direction. And ran into the blackness of the forest, as suddenly as they came. I saw Luke sprint after them.

'_No, Luke! Let them go! There's too many of them!' _I called to him mentally.

_'I want them dead. I want them ALL dead," _Luke responded angrily,and his thoughts turned into a flurry of violent images. I winced, not wanting to see the wolf's destructive power so intimately. I could only imagine a black wolf in my own mind's eye…my mother's face.

'_Please, Luke, don't make me see that,' _I begged him.I could feel his pang of regret. The thoughts subsided.

'_I'm sorry,' _he said. And then his mental presence vanished completely, indicating his transformation back to human form.

The X-men and Cullens stood spread out around the immediate area, shell-shocked by the sudden turn of events.

"They were called back," said Edward's velvety voice.

"Called back? How in the hell would you know that?" Wolverine accused.

"I can read minds. I heard the call, loud and clear," He said coolly.

Then Kitty Pryde let out a bloodcurdling scream.


	15. Kitty

**Thanks for sticking with this story if you're still reading. I promise there won't be too many more chapters before the end! Please review!**

...

Her scream pierced to the very center of my soul, quickly dampening my adrenaline high. My shaggy head snapped toward Kitty, and my through my bleary eyes I saw her writhing on the ground, her back arching in convulsions. The bear's nearsightedness was no disadvantage though, for a bear's sense of smell is far keener than any mammal, seven times as sensitive as a bloodhound. One whiff, and I not only identified her as Kitty, but could smell the extent of her pain and fear. She was in agony. Suddenly, I didn't quite care about where the vampires went. I reverted to my human form and ran toward her as the others did. The Cullens reached her first, only to be shoved aside by Logan.

"Get away from her! All of you!" he snarled, his chest heaving. He still had his claws extended. _Not good._ I clenched my teeth together. _We've gotten this far. Please, don't fight now. _He must have been fairly threatening, because the all nine members of the coven took a step back from her. The other mutants came closer, uncertain about approaching their unlikely allies. Like Jesse and I, they had likely never encountered vampires before this incident. Jesse and I pulled close to Kitty, oblivious to Wolverine's anger.

"They won't hurt her, Logan," Jesse said carefully, trying to placate my hot-headed father. "You know they feed on the blood of animals." He had doused his fire, as if to prove his point that the Cullens wouldn't hurt him while he was defenseless. Logan shot him a look that could have melted diamond, but he took a deep breath and calmed himself minutely. The claws slid back into his forearms with the sound of metal sliding against his adamantium coated bones.

Edward must have gleaned enough from Wolverine's thoughts to feel confident that he wouldn't be losing his head or any of limbs, because he leaned closer to Shadowcat and inhaled sharply, looking at her in horror. She rolled over and screamed again, pine needles tangling themselves in her tousled hair.

"Make the burning stop! Please!" she shouted, tears streaming down her face. Then I spotted the twin puncture marks at the base of her shoulder. The vampire had ripped clean through the leather X-suit. _Oh no._

"She's been bitten," Edward said, pain in his eyes. His words stunned the group into silence. Come to think of it, I could feel a slight burning radiating from my several points on my own body. I did a self check. I had been bitten too…multiple times, but the pain was quickly fading. I watched as the holes left by the vampire teeth sealed themselves shut. My healing factor overwhelmed the strength of the vampire venom. I noted similar markings on Logan, but his case was the same as mine. I shook my head. She should have never been sent on this mission. Jesse, Iceman, and Colossus all had outward protection from vampire bites. Kitty was vulnerable. Taryn was vulnerable. I caught a glimpse of the teen's frightened eyes, wide with terror. She had been lucky.

It was Jasper who spoke first. "She must be changed or die." He said with as much feeling as if he were commenting on the weather.

"What's the difference?" Wolverine growled. Edward winced at that one. I would have expected an answer like that from Jesse. Even from myself a few days ago. But things were different now. I didn't view vampires the same way anymore. Amazing how much could change in a few sleepless days. Logan knelt next to her, even as she screamed in his face. "I could end it quick, Kitty. If you want," he said with unusual softness in his voice. _No. No, no, no. _She didn't need to die. But I realized, with a sinking feeling in my gut, that one way or another Shadowcat's heart would beat no more after this day. The group looked at Wolverine with acute surprise. But Kitty just looked at him with glazed eyes, uncomprehending, pain clouding her pale, strained face. Colossus' fists were trembling, still in his armored form. He reeled up and shoved Wolverine away from the group, forcing him back several feet. Wolverine recoiled and snarled.

"Don't. Touch. Her," Colossus said, deadly serious. He had strong feelings for Kitty, I knew.

"You think I'm that much of a beast, Piotr? I would _never _hurt her unless she asked me to," he said through clenched teeth.

"You won't hurt her under any circumstance," Colossus' deep voice rumbled. "Could you save her?" He questioned the vampires, his voice pleading. Carlisle nodded quickly.

"If you decide quickly enough, there may be a chance. But her heart won't last much longer," Carlisle affirmed with deep worry in his voice. He was right about that one. I could hear her heart, an uneasy, irregular fluttering, speeding up and slowing erratically. The predator in me knew she wasn't going to last. Colossus withdrew his metal armor and put his large palm on her face.

"Kitty, Kitty listen to me." Her wide, brown eyes rolled to him. "Would you be willing to be changed into a…vampire?" Colossus said it with uncertainty, with agony. Knowing that this was the only way to keep her in any form. Tears streamed downed Kitty's face.

"I don't want to die!" she screamed as another wave of pain struck her. I couldn't bear to watch this much longer.

"Then we have our answer," Carlisle said. He looked at each of the mutants in turn, lingering longer on Wolverine. "Unless you are opposed?" Wolverine clenched his fists.

"It's her decision. I don't want to see the kid die. But I don't think this is much better," Wolverine said gruffly. "I just don't want to see her hurting anymore."

"Shouldn't we take her back to the house?" Piped up Esme in her gentle voice. Always assuming the role of the doting mother.

"There isn't enough time, my dear,"Carlisle said. "It will have to be done here."

"Could I at least offer the rest of you a place to rest and attend to your wounds? Carlisle is a doctor; we have everything you could possibly need. I promise you, Carlisle will take good care of her," Esme offered. As much as I hated to leave Kitty, we all needed to rest. Who knew when we would be attacked again? I looked at Taryn again, who was trembling, probably from a combination of stress and fear. I wanted to take her away from this scene, these dark woods littered with vampire body parts and mangled corpses. She was so young to be exposed to the harsh the realities of life as a member of an X-men. She would see many more atrocities, but for one night I think she had seen enough.

"That would be much appreciated, Esme," I said to her. She seemed immensely relieved by my answer. I gave the X-men encouraging looks, hoping they would come back to the Cullen house with Jesse and I.

"I'm staying," Colossus said abruptly, never taking his blue eyes off of Kitty's face. He said it in a voice that was not to be argued with. Wolverine didn't even try.

"Very well then. The rest of you…please. Go now. It will be a long night," Carlisle stated. Night? Judging from the dark gray color of the patches of sky I could see through the trees, it was nearly dawn. Was I _ever _going to sleep on this mission?

"But shouldn't we, I don't know…clean up this mess? I mean if people come hiking through here…," Jesse began.

"I don't think covering up the existence of vampires will be necessary anymore. We're out of the coffin, so to speak, at this point," Edward responded. I had to agree. The world was changing. People will have to come to terms with the idea that their world isn't nearly as benign as they thought it was. They shared it with not only mutants, but vampires, werewolves, a number of other costumed oddities, and God knows what else. First the mutants had come out, and now vampires that _prey _on humans. They were now so many races on the table superior to humans that I couldn't imagine the ramifications for the overinflated ego of human beings.

With that thought lingering on our minds, Bella turned and motioned for the mutants to follow the Cullens back to the house. We did so, but as I left I caught a glimpse of Colossus' pained expression as he watched Kitty scream hoarsely. Carlisle bent his head to her neck.

...

My mind crept into consciousness slowly, spurred on by the bright sunlight hammering full force through the numerous gargantuan windows that were characteristic of the Cullen house. As I reconnected with my body, I groaned silently and wished I could simply go back to the oblivion of sleep. My wounds may have been long healed, but there was still a lingering, full body ache. _Damn vampires._ At least I was comfortable. Well, as comfortable as I could make myself on the Cullen's living room carpet. They had a total of two beds, which were quickly commandeered by Taryn and Bobby. I couldn't blame them though. What need did they have for beds when no one but Renesmee slept? As far as I was concerned, the carpet was more than nice enough for my battered, exhausted body. And I was warm, my foggy mind noted through my closed eyelids.

Too warm. I sniffed, inhaling a slightly musky, smoky scent that I knew all too well. _Oh no you didn't. _As I regained feeling in my sleepy muscles, I felt the arm wrapped around my waist, the hand tight around my midsection. Jesse was dozing ever so peacefully by my side, his oppressive body heat smothering me. With his arm wrapped around me. My eyes snapped open. _You sneaky bastard._

I tore myself from his arms, jumped to my feet, picked him up and threw him over my shoulder before he knew what was coming. His back slammed into the ground with a satisfying thud. I was stronger, and faster, than the average human. His caramel eyes were wide with shock, having been rudely awakened from what I was sure was a fantastic sleep for him. I stood over him with my hands on my hips, my wavy locks in disarray, fuming. I heard Emmett erupt in a roar of laughter from the kitchen. I growled. I had just about enough of him, too. He was next if he didn't watch it.

"Tell me something, Jesse. What in the HELL were you thinking?" It was an honest question. Truly, I was amazed by his stupidity. Having recovered from being viciously slammed into the floor, he merely flashed me that winning white smile.

"I'm opportunistic. Plus, you didn't seem to mind," he stopped for a moment to wink at me, his irises blazing warm yellow for a brief second. That was a new trick. I had to admire the effect. I didn't know if I was angrier that he had slept with me for God knows how long or with the fact that his charms were winning me over far easier than usual. Feeling the unconscious change in my vocal chords, I emitted a genuine feline growl.

"Do that again, hun. You're definitely more attractive when you're angry. You know, I may decide to do this more often," He challenged. _Die, die, die. _I contemplated sleeping in cobra form for the rest of my life.

"Alright break it up, kids," came Wolverine's gruff voice. "Way to wake up the rest of the house." What time was it anyway? I glanced out the window. Judging by the position of the sun, it had to be late afternoon already. I had slept long, and peacefully. _With Jesse curled up next to me_, his smug face reminded me. I grumbled inwardly at his victory.

"Considering the majority of the house's occupants are insomniac vampires, I don't think we caused too much of a disturbance. Plus, if you hadn't stopped me, it was about to get _much _worse," I countered, throwing my hardest glare at Jesse, who had gotten to his feet but was still smiling insufferably. His demeanor had made a full three sixty from a few hours before, when his worry was almost palpable. And somehow I knew that it wasn't the sudden onslaught of vampires that had caused it, or the fear that the X-men would attack the Cullens. He had been worried about _me. _

It was a rare moment when Wolverine smiled. This was one of those times. It was an edgy smile, one of a man that has seen too much in his lifetime to ever be genuinely carefree.

"Just remember, hot stuff, that girl's got my temper. I wouldn't push her too far," he warned. Jesse gave him a mock salute.

"Point taken, soldier," Jesse said, taking a jab at Logan's military history. _What chance did I have? The cocky bastard won't even be intimidated by the infamous Wolverine._ At this point Bobby and Taryn had woken and had made their way downstairs, still casting off the last vestiges of sleep. They slept well for being in a house full of vampires.

Logan and I turned our heads to the front door at the same time. Supernatural hearing at its best. Though the vampires detected the footsteps shortly after we did.

"I swear you two are better than dogs," Taryn joked. I wouldn't doubt it. There were definitely three people approaching the house. One was a distinctly heavy, human gait, while the other two were barely perceptible to my sensitive ears. I recognized the first as Colossus, who wasn't particularly light on his feet even when unarmored. The other two had to be vampires, for typical humans could not walk so stealthily. And as a general rule humans had a pulse and steadily beating heart. And if Colossus was walking with two vampires, then that had to mean—

"Kitty's alive," I announced with a smile on my face. Bobby, Taryn, and Jesse all focused me, their faces uncertain. Alive was a good thing, wasn't it? Well, undead to be more accurate. Technicalities, technicalities.

"Not necessarily, Brooke," Edward responded to my unspoken thought. "She's a newborn now, which is when vampires are strongest, and the most unpredictable. She seems controlled at the moment if her thoughts are any indication, but we'll watch her carefully."

Emmett and Jasper moved toward the door as it opened, likely serving as the body guards in case Kitty got out of hand. Taryn looked genuinely frightened. Logan clenched his fists.

Carlisle and Colossus entered, both with fairly pleased expressions plastered across their faces. Colossus was clearly exhausted; the dark shadows under his glassy blue eyes gave him away. But he was happy, positively beaming, as he encouraged Kitty forward into the house. It was clear to me that he didn't care that she was a vampire. She was alive.

I gasped when I saw her. Not because she was horrific. Quite the opposite. She was gorgeous; the epitome of human perfection, just like all the vampires. Her brown hair, similar to mine, fell in waves down her back. It was luxurious and shiny, accenting her porcelain white face. The only thing that detracted from her appearance were her eyes, which were also captivating, albeit a hellish red_. Why do her eyes look like those monsters we fought in the woods? _Edward leaned close to my ear.

"It's the human blood in her system. They'll fade to gold if she continues to feed from animals. Don't mention it to her; she might be self-conscious about it like Bella was," he said. He put a lot of emphasis on the 'if'. Was it possible that Kitty, my long time comrade, could become a bloodthirsty murderer?


	16. Nadezhda

"I'm OK, guys. Really," Kitty said in response to the identical wide-eyed expressions of the X-men as they took in her new appearance. Jasper and Emmett had each grabbed one of her arms in an attempt to restrain her. Colossus glowered at the two vampires, clearly not appreciating the contact with Kitty.

"Jasper, Emmett. I don't think the precaution is necessary. She has fed and is remarkably well-controlled. Almost as controlled as Bella, which is quite a feat," Carlisle stated. Bella smiled in response to the compliment, while our undead body guards relaxed their grip on the newborn vampire. Jasper still looked wary, however. He sighed and wrung his hands through his blond hair.

"Controlled newborns…I just can't understand it! First Bella, then the onslaught of the most well-trained newborns I've ever seen, and now _this._ Cases like these are supposed to be the exception, not the rule," Jasper said in his exasperation. He stalked off to the far wall of the living area, where he supported his lean body against it with his arms crossed. I didn't quite comprehend his frustrations.

"Would it please you if Kitty went on a homicidal rampage?" I asked him, mildly annoyed that he seemed to want her chained to a wall. His gold eyes flicked up to mine with disturbing speed. For a split second he didn't look human, but like the vampire he was.

"It would be some consolation, yes. You can't possibly understand. You're a mere child in comparison to me," he scoffed. I felt my temper flare up at his insult.

"Humor me then, o wise Jasper, and try to explain to us ignorant children," I said, the sarcasm dripping from my voice. He sighed and continued to speak, to my surprise. Normally quips like that only escalate arguments. Apparently being a vampire also gave you immunity to sarcasm as well as limitless wisdom.

"I dealt with newborns during the vampire uprisings in the south during the Civil War. They aren't like _this_," he gestured to Kitty. "And they sure as hell aren't like the vampires from last night. They are powerful, but painfully predictable slaves to their own thirst. They aren't organized and controlled. They don't use strategy. These vampires were all of the above and more. It's as if they had been preparing for that attack for months, which is impossible, since the disappearances have only been occurring for a few weeks." The southern twang in his voice was accentuated as he described his experiences, as if recounting the events of his past made him more in touch with his southern upbringing.

"Someone is leading them," Edward interrupted. "I didn't get a chance to elaborate earlier because of Kitty's situation, but they were mentally called off. I heard the call in the vampire's minds."

"What did he say, Edward?" Bella inquired. He looked sharply at Bella's face.

"She. It was definitely a female voice. She said 'Good, my children. Return home now; our test has concluded.' "

"Test?" Emmett said incredulously. "They were testing us? For what?"

"To gauge our strengths," Wolverine chimed in. "See how we fight, get a sense of how they can take us down." Pawns. That's all they were. Granted, they were undead parasites, but it still felt callous even by vampire standards to send them out to be killed at our hands just to say 'My, I didn't think vampires could be incapacitated in a over a dozen equally excruciating ways. Now haul what remains of you back to me and I'll prepare you for the next slaughter.'

"Exactly," Jasper agreed, seemingly pleased by Wolverine's insight. Military strategists, the both of them. "And then they turned on their heels and ran to their master like compliant dogs. Which is what I cannot begin to understand. Once the bloodlust is upon a vampire, you can't simply turn it off in the middle of the hunt. Seasoned vampires have great difficulty, let alone a newborn. It's simply inconceivable that they could abandon a battle with the scent of blood thick in the air.

"Can you control a vampire? Even if they're motivated by blood?" Taryn said. Jasper paused to give it some thought.

"Mentally, I suppose it would be possible," he answered.

"Mentally? Like a telepath you mean? But what kind of telepath could pilot that many minds at once?" I interrupted. The sheer power that would be needed to control those vampires simultaneously, while their senses were overridden by the need to kill, was mind boggling. I didn't even think Professor X, with all his power, would have been capable of it.

Bella's porcelain face seemed thoughtful; her eyes were downcast and unblinking, apparently having abandoned her attempts to look human by blinking every now and then. She looked up at the group sharply.

"Unless…unless that telepath's powers were enhanced," Bella suggested. Jesse shot her an incredulous look, and I felt my brow furrow. Enhanced? What was that supposed to mean? All I could think of were gamma rays and the super soldier serums as methods of "enhancement."

"What do you mean by that? Enhanced how?" Jesse asked, taking the words right from my mouth.

"She means by vampire venom," Edward answered him. "That's brilliant, Bella!" He smiled at her, while she beamed in response. "Vampire venom enhances human attributes, so why not a mutant's?"

"You're suggesting there's a mutant behind this?" Bobby put in, his eyes narrowing. "Why would a mutant want vampire domination?"

"Not a mutant. Not anymore anyway," Edward continued. "A telepathic mutant turned vampire, which would potentially magnify their abilities to unpredictable levels. The extent of the enhancement would probably depend on the strength of their abilities to begin with."

"I'm not sure I'm buying this theory, vampire," Iceman responded.

"Bobby?" came Kitty's voice. He looked over at the undead mutant, living proof that a mutant to vampire conversion could happen. Kitty Pryde closed her scarlet eyes and her brow furrowed in concentration, mouth set in a firm line. And then she disappeared. Just vanished into thin air. There was an audible gasp from several people, both human and vampire.

"Holy sh—" I heard Jesse begin to say, as Kitty came back into existence directly behind him. Everyone's eyes whipped to her. Rosalie let out an audible hiss in surprise. Well, that was new. Kitty looked nervously at the group.

"I was never able to teleport," she said. "Not before I was turned. My powers are…greater than before."

"Then indeed, this theory has some weight," Carlisle said.

"It makes sense then. The Volturi's secret weapon is a powerful telepathic mutant turned vampire. That's how the newborns are so controlled," I said. Jasper seemed visibly relieved that there was some sort of explanation behind the newborns' composure. Colossus, who had moved to stand protectively close to Kitty, looked uneasy. His voice rumbled as he spoke, even deeper than Emmett's.

"Did the voice…did she by any chance have a Russian accent?" He asked Edward. The bronze haired vampire stopped to consider it.

"Now that I think about it…yes she did," Edward said, giving Colossus a searching look. I could tell he was sifting through Colossus' thoughts. He just couldn't help himself, could he? "You suspect someone. Would you mind sharing?" He shook his head.

"Nadezhda Kruschev," Colossus said. Wolverine growled.

"She would fit the bill, alright," Logan said. To enlighten the others, including myself, Piotr continued.

"Nadezhda lived in my hometown in my native Russia. I brought her to Xavier's institute, years ago, knowing she had a lot of potential. She was a telepath, and a strong one."

Wolverine nodded and elaborated on that thought. "Xavier was impressed with her abilities. Kid got cocky though. Didn't take orders well, wanted to do whatever she wanted in the field. She went against orders and killed a few hostile targets on one mission a few years back."

"Xavier was upset about that one, said she needed to control herself. But Nadezhda didn't care. She thought she was too powerful for the X-men anyway, and felt underappreciated. I tried to convince her to stay, but she didn't even consider my opinion. She quit the X-men and went back to Russia the next day," Colossus finished.

"Well, I guess she decided to go someplace where her talents would be more appreciated," Jesse said. _Couldn't have said it better myself._

"The Volturi find rare talent irresistible. Seeing her, they would immediately play to her need for power. They would offer her immortality and greater strength as a vampire," Edward said. I filled in the rest. She wouldn't have resisted. And now that she was one of the undead, why not breach the Concord and stick it to the mutants, and while she was it at it use her power to help the Volturi make vampires the dominant race? I had to give it to her, she was awfully ambitious.

"That's it. It has to be," came a light voice, pleasant as silver bells. The group looked at Alice, who sat with her knees pulled close to her chest. She hadn't spoken since last night. "When the call came, I felt the barrier between the telepath and I relax a little. As she lowered her defenses to call the newborns back, I got a glimpse of the place she called them back to. I couldn't pin it before, but now I know where I've seen it. Siberia. It was a fortress in the heart of it, a castle really."

"The Volturi have a holding in Siberia. In case they should ever have use for it. It hasn't been used for centuries though," Carlisle put in.

Army of newborn vampires? Check. Telepathic mutant turned vampire hell bent on world domination? Check. Stronghold in one of the most desolate, frigid areas on the planet? Check. This was just getting better and better all the time.

"Do you know where it is?" Wolverine said, clearly anxious. I could sense his rising aggression, an eagerness to fight. Carlisle smiled.

"If my memory hasn't failed me, then I believe I do."

Siberia, here we come. God, I hate the cold.

Things moved quickly then. We had a target, and location. It was time to get going before another attack could be launched, before more people could become part of the ever growing newborn army. The Cullens, feeling obliged to assist in our fight, split their camp. Edward and Bella, inseparable as always, chose to come with the X-men to the fortress. Edward initially balked at the idea of his eager wife putting herself on the front line, but she quipped "You kept me sidelined as a vulnerable human. Now that I'm a vampire, for once I want to be of use. I want to fight." Edward could hardly placate the stubborn immortal, so he agreed to it, on the condition that he stay by her side. Emmett, unable to resist the temptation of a good battle, also volunteered. Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice chose to stay behind, to keep things under control in Forks in case of another attack. Renesmee, after being sternly rebuked by her protective parents, was forced to stay with the rest of the Cullen clan. Naturally, after word spread to the werewolves, Jacob also decided to stay behind with Renesmee. Lucas, chained to me by his uncontrollable desire to protect me from harm, insisted on coming, along with several other wolves, including Seth and Sam. We were quickly building a small army of our own.

As we departed for the jets, my eyes lingered on Kitty, and the vampires and werewolves we were toting with us. I had also forgotten that, technically speaking, I wasn't an official part of this mission. Not anymore. I felt a deep sense of loss once more.

"Storm's going to have a fit," Jesse said. My thoughts exactly. Apparently we were operating on the same wavelength today. I silently hoped it wasn't the beginning of a trend. I was still unimaginably pissed about my rude awakening earlier.

"I'll take care of Storm," Wolverine said. "Ororo's a good leader, a strong one. But she hasn't been around as long as I have. She hasn't seen that sometimes you have to rely on unlikely allies. As long these vampires and wolves are against whatever these Volturi parasites are doing, then that's good enough for me."

"And as for you two, if I'm any proof, quitting the X-men doesn't mean a damn thing. I've drifted in and out more times than I can count. If you believe in Xavier's cause, you're always an X-men. Nothing Storm says can change that." Logan gave me a pat on the back, a rare show of affection for him. I felt my lips tug up at the corners ever so slightly.

Thanks, Dad.


	17. Battleground

Thirty X-men, several untrained hyperactive werewolves, and a few vampires. That was the best we could muster to face a vampire army of unknown magnitude. _Great._

I stood on my hind legs, taking in the ominous fortress that leered at us in the distance. Carlisle's directions had been spot on, after what must have been several decades. The vampire had a remarkable memory. The black castle, frosted by new snowfall, marred the otherwise pristine tundra. It was an enormous and unnecessarily complicated structure with more towers and elaborate spires than I could easily count. The Volturi were definitely into aesthetics, but whether their vampire hideaway was as formidable as it appeared remained to be seen.

The wind picked up, howling mournfully and kicking up a fine layer of snow, which glittered as it caught the light of the full moon. I heard several sharp inhales from our party as the gust nipped at them, undoubtedly felt even through the cold resistant X-suits provided to the entire party. Normally I would have been groaning inwardly within the first ten minutes, but against every fiber of my human self I found the frigid temperature exhilarating. In fact, I had never become an animal that had such a strong penchant for miserably cold climates. I was sure I would have turned a lovely shade of blue by this point, but thanks to a layer of blubber and a coat of thick fur that my polar bear form gifted me, I wasn't feeling a thing. In fact, the temperature felt downright pleasant. I couldn't say the same for all my other unfurred comrades, several of which were crowding as close as they could to the intense heat of Jesse's flames.

I cast them a brief sidelong glance, and winced as I caught Storm's eyes as she hovered several feet above the ground, her eyes blazing white. She glared at me with those glowing orbs, clearly still beyond furious that Jesse and I had blatantly disobeyed her. But she held her tongue, for now at least. Logan had given her a firm talking to, and after a heated argument she grudgingly consented not only to restore our status as X-men, but to allow the vampires and werewolves to fight on our side. Not that she had much choice in the matter, especially considering that Kitty was now among the undead. After Wolverine mentioned that little tidbit I was almost certain an F5 tornado would descend upon all our heads considering the string of obscenities that ensued. When she cooled down it was decided that, assuming we even made it out of this fight alive, Kitty would stay with the Cullens until she learned to manage her thirst, after which she would be allowed to return to Xavier's Academy. Besides, I had unwillingly acquired a lovesick wolf that I was convinced would go through hell and back before leaving my side. A woman who could create gale force winds and summon lightning sure wasn't going to stop him.

The wind tossed the snow into a sparkling flurry once more. I fought hard against the polar bear's urge to roll in it. A series of deep huffs to my left caught my attention. I looked down at Luke, who appeared to be doing his version of canine laugh.

'_I say go for it. It might get rid of some of the tension,' _Luke's thought reverberated in my head. Being that our minds were connected in animal form, Luke was well aware of my thoughts, as were the other werewolves.

'_Give me a break, Luke,' _I responded mentally. _'I've never had an occasion to use a polar bear morph before.'_ I wasn't use to dealing with the mind of this enormous beast, the largest natural land predator. As I returned to all fours, however, I knew that title undoubtedly needed to be reassigned to the werewolves. Luke was still taller than me by at least a foot at the shoulder, and likely over one hundred pounds heavier.

'_Seth, Luke, come with me. Let's scout ahead,' _came Sam's authoritative voice. I could feel the power of his command laced in those words. Had he addressed me directly, I had no idea if I would be able to refuse.

_'Likely not,' _Sam answered, as he rolled a large brown iris in my direction. I averted his gaze. The black wolf was still a little too much for my psyche to handle. _'Which is why I was careful about the phrasing. When Luke imprinted on you, you weren't only incorporated into the Pack's mental link, but also put under my command. This was forced upon you, Brooke, so I will try my best to avoid exerting my authority over you.' _Excellent. Now my will was in danger of being stripped from me. Nonetheless, I appreciated the alpha's consideration.

'_Thanks, Sam.' _The ebony wolf nodded, and the canine trio bounded into the distance with that effortless gait that could only be achieved by wolves. They were unimaginably graceful for animals of their size, and Luke, his white coat melding seamlessly with the frozen backdrop, was breathtakingly beautiful. I felt a surge of pride from Luke through our mental link.

_'Seems like you're warming up to us,' _he said.

_'Maybe just a little bit. Don't get too excited; I still don't want to pet you again,' _I said. His laugh bounced around my head.

"Where are they going?" Ororo questioned.

"Scouting. They'll rejoin us soon," Edward said, reading their thoughts. Storm visibly bristled at having the vampire answer her. She had been informed of his mind-reading abilities.

I felt Jesse's heat far before he fell into step beside me as our party moved toward the castle. He glanced at me with mischief in his fiery eyes. _Don't you try anything, Jesse. I swear to God you aren't going to like the outcome. _

"You're just a oversized teddy bear aren't you, Brooke?" he said. I zeroed on him with my peripheral vision. The fire retracted from his hand, he reached toward me. _That's it, get a little closer. I dare you._

"I wouldn't do—" Edward began, picking up on my thoughts. I closed my jaws down on his hand and released. He cried out. _Teddy bear, my ass. _I wasn't too concerned about any damage. Had I really put any significant pressure into that bite I could have easily taken a few fingers."Told you so. Granted, you did earn it." Jesse glowered at him, the fire about him ballooning outward slightly in response to his anger. I couldn't laugh, but I mimicked Luke and gave it my best shot. Emmett laughed uproariously, as per usual.

"Do they have to leave?" Emmett said between loud guffaws. "I can't get enough of them."

"Let's get serious," Wolverine growled. The tone in his voice immediately silenced Emmett. "Remember that we're in enemy territory now." The tension among us became so thick that moment that I could practically taste it. I smelled fear, anxiety, adrenaline and….a light sweetness. I paused midstride and inhaled again.

The metallic _snikt_ of adamantium claws unsheathing got everyone's attention. I exchanged glances with Wolverine. From the look he gave me, I knew he smelled it, too. I watched Logan as sniffed, exhaling clouds of vapor into the still, frosty air.

_'Guys,' _I thought as hard as could to the wolves. _'You better get back here, quick. I think there's trouble.' _I stood again, and picked out Sam's dark form in the distance. They doubled back.

The unmistakable scent of vampire was in the air, and it wasn't from those in our party. It wasn't as powerful though. In fact, it was almost if it the scent was…masked. _Wait a minute. _I thrust my muzzle into the snow and inhaled. The scent was stronger, significantly so. Comprehension dawned on me. _Christ, they're under the goddamn snow. _I bellowed in warning.

"They're in the snow!" Edward relayed my message. Almost simultaneously, a large male vampire erupted from the ground, right onto Logan's back. Wolverine wrenched him over his shoulder, and swiftly disposed of him with a well aimed thrust into the parasite's throat. Ragged scratches marked my father's upper back, torn straight through the leather suit. Despite his healing factor making quick work of those shallow wounds, a few drops of blood fell to the snow, disturbingly scarlet against the white ground. Our group looked on in stunned silence. The vampire had drawn blood, and if I could smell it, so could—

The snow writhed with activity as vampires burst from their subterranean hiding places. A familiar burst of flame from Jesse ended the life of one unlucky vampire. Our group was moved to action, and suddenly it was utter chaos. We had walked straight into an ambush.

The wolves burst onto the scene, nightmares on four legs when their rage was unleashed. I spurred to action as a female dove for me, wrenching those knifelike fingers into the flesh of my back. I growled and rolled, forcing my bulk on top of her. Having surprised her, I worked quickly. I clubbed her with a wide paw and used my strong canines to tear into her neck. Her screaming ceased within a few seconds. The wounds on my back stung as they came into contact with the cold air. _Too slow. _The vampires were too light on their feet for me to fight effectively as a polar bear. I concentrated and allowed the heat to flood me. With adrenaline lending swiftness to my change my limbs elongated, and my skeleton contorted to support bipedalism. The digits of my massive paws stretched and thinned into a hand-like conformation, the black claws elongated and curved into sharp points. I stood on the leaner, but no less powerful furred hind limbs of my polar bear half-form, and came face to face with a white lupine head. Luke was standing on his hind limbs as well, with a well muscled and distinctively human like torso. A wolf half-form, a creature that looked like it would be more at home as a powerful sentinel of some ancient Egyptian pyramid. Sam and Seth had taken on similar forms.

'_Since when can you do _that_?' _I questioned. He gave me a toothy grin. _'We learned from the best.' _He winked at me with an ice blue eye. Ah, so now their stealing my tricks of the trade. The wolf hybrids rejoined the battle with renewed vigor, their speed increased in their new forms.

I whirled behind me and swiped at a lithe female attempting to knock me off balance. I bent over and grabbed her by the throat, my claws digging into the hard skin. I brought her to my eye level and gave her my best polar bear roar, staring deep into her crimson eyes. She started back at me with a cold, calculating intelligence as she scrabbled at my powerful arm, her twin fangs bared. It was an intelligence that indicated a level of control that could not be achieved by a beast consumed by bloodlust. I continued to stare, wanting to give the undead telepath a warning. _We're coming, Nadezhda. You'll regret the day you turned against the X-men. _My fist squeezed, and hairline cracks appeared in the vampires porcelain neck. I little more pressure, and the neck caved in my hand, crumbling into pieces. The vampire's body thudded against the snow.

All around me, chaos had ensued. Logan was a blur of flashing adamantium claws and blind fury, thrown into a full blown berserker rage as he slashed, snarling all the while. He was deadly, displaying savagery that hinged on uncontrolled. I was momentarily captivated by his bestial grace, having only seen him fight a handful of times. Storm never thought it wise to assign us to the same missions, claimed it would cause conflicts of interest. I always thought it was out of her fear that I would become just like him. But that was impossible. Only an individual who had been subjected to the physical and psychological traumas that Logan had faced could become that feral, that terrifyingly violent. Screwed up as my past was, I had nothing on him. Wolverine was one of a kind.

I caught a glimpse of Colossus in my peripheral vision, tearing vampires apart like they were made of tissue paper. Here and there I passed vampires frozen in blocks of ice, undoubtedly Bobby's doing. And the ashes that represented the remains of what must be dozens of undead strewn across the formerly pristine snow? Jesse's handiwork. But despite the countless slain, there appeared to be just as many vampires as before, if not more. I growled as I felt a pair of dagger-like vampire fangs tear into the flesh of my neck, a spray of crimson staining my white fur. I cursed myself for getting distracted. _Damn parasite tore my carotid._ I ripped the blonde vampire off me and disposed of him, then put pressure on the torn artery with my clawed hand, attempting to curtail the flow of blood while my healing factor kicked in. The scent of my blood was heavy in the air, and I needed to find cover before a swarm of the monsters descended upon me. I eyed a snow covered boulder about one hundred meters off and raced for it, reverting back to human form as I did so. I would heal faster if I wasn't putting energy into maintaining an animal form. Panting, I put my back against the far side of the rock and slid to the ground, my hand still over my neck. I couldn't hide for long; there was a painfully obvious trail of footprints and blood leading straight to me. I winced, feeling the burn of the vampire venom course through my veins. _It's alright. Your immune system eats toxins for breakfast._ I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the feeling of lightheadedness from the blood loss, and took a deep breath. Almost immediately my heart rate slowed, and the bleeding began to ease. I felt the peculiar tingling sensation of my artery stitching itself back together, and the wound sealing itself closed. A freak I may be, but it was times like these that I was damn grateful for my mutant abilities.

"Jesus, Brooke, are you alright?" I looked up to see Jesse, sans fire, towering over me with his brow furrowed in concern. He really does care about me, I mused. But then again, who wouldn't be concerned at my current appearance? I took my hand off my neck, and it came away stained a ruddy scarlet. I didn't care to know what the rest of my face looked like.

"I'm fine. Good as new." I pointed to my now wound free, albeit bloody neck to demonstrate. Shouldn't you be taking care of some vampires? You're blowing my cover," I teased.

"I came to check on _you. _It's not much of a cover when you leave a trail of blood that practically shouts 'easy prey.'" Now I was offended. I was not easy prey, and I very well knew that any moment a vampire was going to come soaring over the boulder in hopes of an effortless kill. Said vampire would be sadly mistaken. I scrutinized Jesse somewhat enviously. He was fatigued, and I could smell the sweat and adrenaline on him, but otherwise he was no worse for wear. Must be nice to be able to shield yourself behind a layer of scorching flames.

"Well, Jesse, we aren't all untouchable here. Some of us have to bleed a little." There was a barely perceptible brightening of his eyes at that remark, something that I wouldn't have noticed without my keen senses. I could practically see the cogs turning in his head.

"Jesse?" In the silence that followed I could hear the screams, both vampire and mutant, echoing in the background, deafeningly loud to my sharp ears. "What's wrong?" Then it came to me. "It's going worse than we anticipated, isn't it?" I volunteered, not quite wanting to know the answer. Jesse shook his head, again a barely perceptible movement, his eyes far away.

"Brooke, there are at least several thousand of them. I saw them from the air. A damn army of vampires filling the entire stretch from here to the castle. And they're all waiting to get a piece of us." His eyes flared white for a moment, his anger apparent. He gritted his teeth. "But honestly, I don't think there will be enough of us left to go around." I shook my head in disbelief. We were really losing. I guess I expected it, but at the same time I clung to the feeble hope that we would at least be able to put up a good fight.

"Couldn't we call in reinforcements? The other X-men? The Avengers? Hell, I'll even take S.H.I.E.L.D's help at this point." He shook his head.

"Storm said it's reached pandemic status. There are vampire newborns rampaging across the United States and beyond. Everyone's tied up trying to clear out local invasions." I felt dizzy all over again. We were the only ones that could stop this army, the only ones that could get to the castle and stop Nadezdha Kruschev in any reasonable amount of time. But we weren't enough. But Jesse's face didn't reflect the desperation I was surely showing. In fact, he looked calm, placid even. He still didn't meet my eyes. I got to my feet, took his chin in my hand, and turned his head to face me.

"Jesse? What did I say?" His light brown irises locked on me.

"You said I was untouchable. Fire. It's a problem for them. They're afraid to attack me. I can do it, Brooke. I can build up enough heat and power and blast them." I quickly made the mental leaps to keep up with his train of thought. He wasn't talking about a small blast. He wasn't talking about killing the few vampires that we were currently struggling to defeat. He was talking about all of them. The several thousand vampires waiting in the tundra before the castle. I took a step back.

"You'll kill yourself," I said, my voice deadpan.


	18. Sacrifice

**Not too many chapters to go :). Let me know if you're liking it! I really appreciate any kind of feedback!**

* * *

I stared at Jesse numbly, unable to believe that he was considering sacrificing himself.

"Most likely," he said in response. He held up his hands when he saw the look of horror on my face. "Wait, just listen to me, Brooke. I may not even get them all, but at the very least I can take out a whole trove of the bastards. I can give you guys a chance. A chance to get into the castle and to Nadezhda. Without her to pilot them, the vampires will lose control. Like Jasper said, newborns are powerful but predictable. Take out the telepath, and the whole army falls apart." I shook my head furiously, paralysis overtaking my limbs.

"No. There has to be another way." Jesse put his hands on my shoulders.

"If I don't do this, I can guarantee we're going to die. You, me, the X-men, the Cullens. We don't stand a chance. Not against this many. Please, Brooke. You have to understand." He took his hands off of me and I watched him back away slowly. I couldn't speak, couldn't move. The flames erupted uniformly across his body, as if the fire were stored in his pores. The snow beneath him instantly burst into steam. I stared dully into the radiance of the flickering tendrils, letting the warmth of the fire wash over me.

_No. This wasn't happening._ With one more lingering look, he turned away from me. His movement snapped me out of paralysis.

"I won't let you sacrifice yourself!" I lunged forward and grabbed his forearm. Stars exploded in my vision as the pain seared me. I gasped as skin, tendon, and muscle were instantaneously scorched into virtual nothingness and tore my charred, blackened hand from his body. The scent of burning meat assaulted my nostrils. He turned toward me instantaneously, his eyes wide, and doused his fire.

"Brooke! What were you thinking?" I could only stare numbly at my hand. Were those bones sticking out of the burned flesh? My stomach rolled in protest. Then slowly, excruciatingly, I watched in fascination as new tissue spontaneously grew. First the bare, fibrous muscle knitted itself over the exposed bone, followed by the regeneration of connective tissue. As nerves grew back in, I regained movement in my fingers. Then the skin beginning at the undamaged portion of my wrist seemed to elongate, stretching itself over the back of my hand and newly healed fingers. My hand was perfect, reformed, but my mind was still recoiling from the lancing pain I felt just moments before.

"I—I don't know," I stammered. "I just—" But the closing of Jesse's warm lips over mine silenced me. I leaned into him, wrapping my arms around his neck, responding in full. Grief and pain clouded my senses as I realized this was our first kiss and our last one, and the mere thought made my eyes flood with tears. God, this was an abysmal time to realize I didn't just care about Jesse. I loved him. It was just my luck. He pulled away from me far before I was ready to let go, and tilted his forehead down to meet mine.

"I'm sorry. I just had to do that…at least once." The tears started to flow then. Oh how I hated him. Hated him for making me realize the depth of my feelings for him now, hated him for making this so much harder than it had to be. But I had overcome the temporary insanity that compelled me to stick my hand into a living furnace. I understood now, and as much as I didn't want it to be true, Jesse's actions could be the only way for us to have a fighting chance.

I shook my head and looked into his eyes, which glowed a warm molten yellow, a glimpse into the fire that dwelled within him. "Don't apologize. Please. I don't think I could stand it." He drew me into his embrace, which was so blessedly warm I wished I could stay locked in his arms forever. His mouth near my ear, he spoke in a low voice.

"Whatever happens, Brooke, I want you to get out of here alive. And when you do, I want you to be happy. If that means quitting the X-men, if that means sharing your life with someone, then do it. Don't hurt anymore. Forget the past. Forget me if that's what it takes. Just be happy. Can you do that for me?"

Forget him? Impossible. I could already feel the gaping wound he was leaving in my heart, and I wasn't sure I would ever recover from that. Happiness isn't going to come easily if I get out of this. But I could try. I could at the very least do that for him. I nodded to satisfy him. Grimly, he released me. Jesse ignited and hovered above the ground for a few moments, his eyes lingering on me. Then he turned away and shot into the sky, a bright comet against the clear black atmosphere. I could only watch helplessly, powerlessly, as fat tears rolled down my cheeks.

**Jesse **

_Well, Jesse Storm, it's now or never_. I surveyed the raging battle below me, picking out Wolverine, still standing despite being mercilessly attacked by several vamps. _Note to self: Never get on Logan's bad side_. But then I winced, not only because I probably already _was _on his bad side, but because it didn't matter anyway. Taryn fell as a horde descended upon her. _No! _I shot a blast of fire into their general direction, scattering the parasites that glared up at me with hate etched into their features. That did it. These parasites would die now.

The army waited in the tundra beyond, standing statuesque. As we killed them, another line would step forward to fight us. They could just swarm us and kill us all at once. But no, they wanted it this way. The Volturi, or Nadezdha, or both, thought it better that we fight to the death. Fight until we couldn't possibly stand it anymore. And then they would finish us off. The number of vampires that they lost in the process was of no consequence to them. They were disposable. I imagined how the other factions of the X-men were faring, how the superhumans of the world were probably fighting this same battle across the globe. I looked down in Brooke's direction, who stood stark still, staring up at me, already grieving. _I'm sorry, Brooke. I wish there was another way. I'm doing this for everyone else's sake, but mostly for you. You'll make it out of this because you're strong. The strongest person I know._

I held my arms outstretched, palms facing the colossal vampire army. I concentrated, raising my body temperature and focusing the heat to my palms. A sphere of fire materialized before me, hovering just past my hands. The fire flared around me as I fed energy to the glowing white entity that rolled in midair. I didn't really know the upper limits that my body temperature could reach. We tried once, when my powers first appeared. I was off the charts, and our resident scientist Hank McCoy, also known as Beast, warned me not to push it. _' _You're a potential explosive, Jesse. Go too high, and your body could very well disintegrate, along with everything else in the immediate vicinity, ' he had said. _Well, I guess explosive is what I'm going for, but if I can focus the heat into a blast, I should be able to avoid killing off my team in the process…at least I hope. _The fireball grew as I poured more heat into it, looking for all the world like a miniature sun. And then I felt its force on me. _It has its own gravitational pull to boot_, I realized with a degree of shock. Suddenly, I didn't need to feed it anymore. The blindingly bright fireball was growing on its own now, having now attained at least a four foot diameter. It was self sustaining, taking on a life of its own. I felt its pull on me as it drew my fire, compelling my body to produce more heat to compensate for the loss, which sent my body temperature climbing to a point of no return. Yes, the fireball was self sustaining, as long as had a life force to draw from. That life force was me. And that's when, for the first time, I began to actually _feel _the heat of my fire. I was starting to burn.

**Brooke**

In one instant, the colossal fireball launched hurled itself forward at a speed I could not register with my human eyes. In the next, the world was an explosion of light and heat. The shockwave drove me to the ground as it collided with me, forcing the air from my lungs. I collapsed gasping for air, my ears ringing from blast. I felt like a laid there for a long time against the hard earth, but just how long I couldn't determine; my sense of time seemed to be off kilter. When I felt slightly less disoriented I staggered to my feet and stumbled back in the direction of the battle. At least I hoped it was the right direction; my eyes were only registering a smoky haze that smelled of vampire and ash. At the moment, the temperature felt far less glacial, perhaps somewhat mild. The heat of the blast had melted the snow beneath my feet and I walked on compact earth unburdened by snow, and wondered numbly if the browned grass beneath had ever seen the light of day.

A hand on my shoulder sent me reeling, and I whirled to face my attacker. I turned only to see Wolverine's unshaven face, and watched with mild fascination as a long gash over his temple sealed itself closed. My senses must be temporarily weakened if I didn't detect him coming, I concluded from my pounding head.

"You alright, kid?" He said in his characteristic gruff voice. He must have taken note of my bewildered deer-in-headlights look, because he gave me a firm shake. "Listen to me. Jesse just might have saved our asses, or at least bought us some more time. Get the vampires and Kitty to the castle. Find Nadezhda." I looked at him uncomprehendingly. Jesse? What did Jesse do? I felt that there was something I should remember, but I couldn't pinpoint it for the life of me. As the haze began to clear, noticed all the bodies. No, not bodies. X-men and newborn vampires were strewn across the battlefield, which was now a bare patch of dirt and rock devoid of any of the snow that covered it only moments ago. But the bodies were stirring, having been momentarily stunned. I could hear their audible groans as my comrades were undoubtedly greeted by a splitting headache that mirrored my own. Logan and I, with our healing factor, must have been the first to recover from the blast. Blast. That word registered briefly. Again, there was the sensation that there was something I should remember, but when I tried to follow the train of thought my brain went foggy. And I realized it wasn't my disorientation. It was that damn healing factor suppressing the memory in an attempt to protect me from the pain it would cause. The last time my mind played this game, I had just killed my mother in a violent lupine rage. The memory of the event had to be coaxed out of me and subsequently dealt with through two years of extensive therapy. Which means that something terrible must have happened, something my body has determined I'm not psychologically capable of handling in my current condition. I put a hand to my head, trying to remember what had just happened. Logan analyzed me with the understanding of someone who had spent months in wandering in the Canadian wilderness with no recollection of who he was and how he had gotten there. He understood me in a way no one else really could, and with that he gently grasped my upper arms. Slowly and clearly, as if to a child he said:

"Brooke, Jesse sacrificed himself." Jesse's face came to the forefront of my memory. I went into shock as I recalled the sensation of his lips on mine. Now I understood why my mind tried to protect me; the agony of his loss was far more painful than incinerating my hand in his fire. I was almost certain I would prefer to throw my entire body into that heat ten times over than experience this. Wolverine looked at me slightly alarmed, knowing I was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

"Come on, kid, pull yourself together. You can't afford to lose it here," he said firmly. His words fell on deaf ears. Jesse would never have had to die if it weren't for the vampires. He would be here if it wasn't for the Volturi. The pinpricks in my palms caught my attention. A cursory glance revealed the sharp feline claws I had subconsciously grew that were now digging into the palms of my tightly clenched hands, which were trembling uncontrollably. My sorrow was forced aside as a new emotion overtook me: blinding rage.

"I'm ok," I ground out through clenched teeth. "Never better." I didn't need to say anything more for him to detect my emotions; his senses were as acute as mine, if not better, and I wasn't exactly trying to mask my fury.

Logan's claws sprung from their sheaths as a vampire tried to catch him off guard. "Well then get out of here before hell breaks loose again. We can take care of the rest of them." I gave him an affirmative nod. The snow being almost entirely obliterated, I easily picked out a fully wolf Luke whose formerly white fur was now grayed by ash and stained with blood. He seemed a little disoriented, but otherwise fine. If I was going to fight the Volturi, I couldn't leave him behind. His desire to protect me would distract him in battle, and that wouldn't do anyone any good. Besides, he was clearly a good fighter. Or maybe I just had a soft spot for the overgrown dog. Either way, I wanted him by my side.

"Luke!" His ears perked up at the sound of my voice, and he cleared the distance between us in a few impossibly long strides. He must have been able to sense my anger, too, because his ice blue eyes held no trace of humor. "Find the Cullens and Kitty. We're going to the castle."


	19. The Castle

Annihilation. That was the first word that came to mind as we sped across the landscape that had held a massive vampire army only moments ago. The snow that once covered the area seemed to be replaced by just as much ash, and my lungs were not pleased. I coughed fitfully, nearly losing my grip on the fur of the powerful animal that thundered beneath me. Not being gifted with a vampire's speed or an animal form that could keep up with one, I was delegated to using Luke as my giant, carnivorous stallion. It didn't take much coaxing to get me to do so, to everyone's surprise. I had a stubborn streak, and right now I was bent on getting revenge at any cost. Plus, if there was any wolf I could learn to like, it would be Lucas. I grimly surveyed the remains of the vampire army. _Well, Jesse, you did it, _I wanted to tell him. _And you did one hell of a job._ My throat felt tight even thinking about him. _I won't waste the chance you've given us. Rest easy with that knowledge._ I could already feel my mind trying to suffocate the memory again, but I fought against it. I needed to remember what he did; it was the only thing still driving me forward.

"Luke wants to know if you're alright," Edward chimed in, breaking the silence that had befallen our party of six that included me, Luke, Edward, Bella, Emmett, and Kitty. At first I assumed Luke was responding to my thoughts, but since I was in human form it must have been the coughing. _Alright? Asthmatic attacks aside, I'm not even close to being ok, Edward. _I thought to him. The vampire's lips pressed into a firm line as he received my thoughts. Ah, one way communication. Always useful. I sighed. _I know, I know. That's not what an overprotective werewolf wants to hear. _I didn't need Luke losing focus when it mattered most. I patted the wolf's head reassuringly.

"Fine, Luke. It's just the ash." He was concerned about _me_, when I was sure he was inhaling the stuff by the bucket if his panting was any indication. The vampires, for whom breathing was unnecessary, were of course unaffected. Lucas huffed as if unconvinced.

We lapsed into silence until we reached the towering ornate double doors at the front of the castle, where we halted. Luke lied down so I could slide off of his back into the foot high layer of suffocating ash. The fortress was every bit as grandiose up close as it was from afar. The fifty foot high doors were made of pure solid silver, though it had blackened with age. Adorning the doors were intricate engravings depicting grotesque creatures that were a blend of human and bat. They were depicted flying, snarling, and of course feeding on their helpless victims with bloodlust in their eyes. Strangely, I found these vampire depictions to be less frightening than their real life counterparts. At least with these beasts, you knew you were up against a horrific, savage, animal. The vampires we fought hid that aspect of themselves beneath inhumanly beautiful and deceptive faces.

"Pleasant. I'm guessing they don't get many visitors." I noted, indicating the carvings.

"Not of the human variety at least," Edward stated grimly. "But then again, these aren't the Volturi's usual quarters. Set apart from any real human civilization, they feel no compulsion to make this place look benign by human standards."

Bella snorted. "Benign? If I think of Dracula's castle, this is exactly the kind of thing that comes to mind, right down to the bat monsters. At least they didn't put it in Transylvania, or I might have died of laughter. What a waste of good silver."

"Maybe they wanted to keep the werewolves out," I suggested, giving Luke's massive shoulder a gentle shove. Of course the giant beast didn't even move an inch. He gave me his wolf laugh.

Edward's eyebrows lifted at the thought. "Quite possibly. Until recently, the Volturi had no knowledge that werewolves existed anywhere else but in myth. Common lore would cite silver as a werewolf's weakness, but as usual the myths don't reflect reality. In their early years during which this place was constructed the Volturi were a bit more…dramatic in their design tastes." _More like superstitious._ I gathered that the vampires were perhaps more fearful of the giant wolves than I was.

Emmett went up to the door handle and attempted to pry it open. Vampire strength and all, it didn't budge. Bella laughed.

"Did you expect it to be that easy, Emmett? You can't muscle your way into everything." Rather than react to the jibe, he merely flashed a perfect smile at the vampire.

"Should I knock instead, Bells?"

"I believe that's what we have Kitty for," I said, shooting her a look. Minus Edward, who had been spared a nasty attack from a vampire in during the Forks attack thanks to Kitty, the others probably hadn't taken note of her mutant ability in the heat of battle. I still wasn't used to her changed form, which was breathtaking in comparison to her human self. Well, minus the scarlet eyes at least.

"Kitty can change the rate of vibration of her atoms, allowing her to phase through any substance with enough concentration," Edward explained. From the look on her face, he had probably gleaned that information directly from her mind.

"I have a voice, you know," Kitty said.

Emmett looked mildly confused. "So in English that means?"

"I can walk through walls, and bring all of you with me," she clarified before Edward could explain for her. Emmett's face lit up like a kid in a candy store.

"Sweet! Why didn't you say that before? What are we waiting for, let's go!" Given the circumstances, he was a little too eager for this. But I got the impression that he was the type of person who would remain optimistic if he found out apocalypse was tomorrow.

"Brooke? Edward? Come take my hands. The rest of you make some kind of physical contact with them. We have to be physically linked if this is going to work," Kitty announced. I took her left hand, momentarily shocked by the cold skin, and Edward came to her right side. Bella took Edward's free hand, while Emmett took mine. After a few moments, Luke regained human form, clothed in an X-suit that we had loaned to the werewolves and the Cullens. He linked himself to Emmett.

I laughed inwardly at our absurd formation. "Anyone up for a game of Red Rover?" Kitty giggled in spite of herself.

"Stop, Brooke, you're breaking my concentration," she said, though she was still smiling. We were entering a vampire stronghold complete with a telepathic lunatic, and we were laughing about it. Clearly, the blast had also made us delirious. "Alright, walk together now." We walked to the door until it was less than an inch from our faces.

"Ready?" The group nodded. "Luke and Brooke?" She gave us pointed glances. "Don't breathe." In unison, we stepped forward, and an odd tingling sensation overtook my body as we stepped through the thick silver. I held my breath, momentarily blinded, until we were through to the other side. Lucas exhaled dramatically.

"Woah. Let's not do that again," he said.

"Sorry, Luke. I know it can be a little jarring at first," Kitty apologized. I took in my surroundings, mostly by scent, because even by my standards, it was dark. Luckily, all of us had better than average night vision. My eyes enlarged as I shifted them to owl form, dramatically increasing the clarity of my surroundings. Unfortunately, that also meant I could no longer move them; owl eyes are fixed in place. I just had to hope that the others would watch my back…and sides. From what I could gather from the dim moonlight filtering in through the places where large windows used to be (the blast had eliminated any chance of their survival), the foyer of the castle was huge and formidable. The gothic style architecture emphasized height over anything else; the graceful archways met at a point far above our heads. I couldn't make out color with any accuracy, but the cobblestone flooring and walls were very dark, likely black. The structure had all the odors of a place that had been long uninhabited: musky, with the scents of various animals that had found their way in seeking shelter. But underneath those benign scents was the overwhelming smell of vampire and the blood of their unfortunate prey, both human and animal. The many footprints of newborn vampires that disturbed the thick layer of dust that seemed to enshroud the whole place were a testament to their activity.

"See? Dracula's castle on the nose," Bella said, her voice amplified by the large open space. I agreed; it was a bit tacky. But why put in so much effort into a place that they would potentially never use? Unless of course, they had been planning to occupy it all along. The Volturi struck me as a group that had never cared for anyone's interests but their own. They had been conspiring over some world domination scheme for some time, and this castle would be the face of their new empire. The Volturi were just waiting for the perfect set of circumstances to turn their dreams, or rather waking machinations, into a reality. In their long history, I guess I was just lucky enough that it would occur in my lifetime.

"So where to?" Emmett inquired. "Seems like our friends are hiding."

"The Volturi don't hide. They simply wait for you to find them. I have almost no doubt that they are aware of our presence." Edward's voice of reason, of course.

"Well if the reintroduction of the atomic bomb didn't clue them in, then they're pretty dense," I said, but my attempt at joking gave me an idea of where they might be. "But I'd be willing to bet that the reason the welcome wagon isn't here to greet us is because they're protecting their weapon. Piloting the minds of literally thousands of vampires takes a toll, even for a very powerful telepath. Nadezdha Kruschev's safety as she single handedly attempts to conquer the earth would be their number one priority." _And the safest place for her would likely be…_

"The dungeon," Edward finished my thought. Underground, shielded from most distractions, hidden from potential attacks, easy to defend, and incidentally, good protection from solar explosions.

"Ah, they would have a dungeon. Not a very good place to go if you want to make an escape though," added Bella.

"Whoever said they were looking to escape?" Kitty said. "I think they're leading us right where they want us." _Excellent. Likely another ambush. _I sighed. At least this time we were expecting it.

"Well, then let's not keep them waiting," Luke said. My canine steed reemerged in an explosion of newly white fur. He bent his head to the ground, gave it few quick sniffs, and took off with his nails clicking on the stone floor. See? I knew he'd be useful.

After winding down several dark hallways, Luke led us to a narrow staircase, where he had to turn human if he had any hope of fitting. It would hold no more than two full grown people side by side. I imagined it would be a good defense in the event of an invasion, in which emerging attackers could be picked off as they entered or exited the stairwell. With that in mind, we sent Edward in first in the hopes that he would hear the thoughts of the Volturi before they could surprise us. Scent wasn't doing us any good at this point, since it all smelled overwhelmingly like vampire. We descended the spiraling staircase for what seemed like an eternity, stumbling in darkness so thick my owl eyes became useless and I discarded them to save energy. I was almost certain we'd reach the fiery bowels of the earth when the stairs abruptly ended and opened up into an enormous circular chamber dimly illuminated by flickering torchlight. As expected, they were waiting for us.

A raised circular pedestal about ten feet in diameter caught my attention first. I gathered it was some sort of sacrificial dais from the dark red stains on the stone, but the scent of stale human blood informed me that animals were never on the menu. Seated cross-legged at its center was a young woman with flawless porcelain skin and a glossy black curtain of hair that fell to her waist. She sat with her spine straight and her crimson eyes wide and unseeing. Her eyes had a vacant, almost glassy look to them, but she was clearly tense. _Nadezhda Kruschev held in thrall by her telepathic abilities._ I'd seen telepaths in concentration before, but none rendered as vulnerable as this. Then again, I'd never met a telepath with the power to pilot so many minds simultaneously. Seeing her in the flesh filled me with hate, finally giving me a face to associate with this madness. I had to force those feelings aside though, for in reality she wasn't to blame. Nadezhda represented simply another piece in the Volturi's game. Lured by promises of power and glory, she was manipulated into becoming their ultimate weapon. And I reasoned that when they were finished with her, Nadezhda would be killed, since the Volturi didn't want to a weapon they potentially cannot control, or even worse, a weapon that could end up in another's hands.

_So tantalizing close…but she might as well be miles from here._ Vulnerable as the mutant turned vampire was, she was not left unguarded. Before her were the key members of the Volturi and the strongest of their guard, whose faces I recognized from the memories Renesmee had shown me back when we were gathering intel about the Volturi. Was that really only a few days ago? How did things change so quickly? And how was it possible that Jesse was gone? It was all because of _them._ These monsters who had ruined the lives of thousands by converting them into their vampire army, and were responsible for the deaths of countless more at the hands of this army. I took them in through my rage tinged vision, noting how incredibly inhuman they appeared. It was amazing how little things like blinking, breathing, and fidgeting made the Cullens seem so human, while the absence of such behaviors made for creatures truly disturbing to behold. I silently hoped the Cullens didn't appear this way when they weren't putting on a façade for society; I wasn't sure I could come to terms with it.

Just in front of the dais three ornate gothic armchairs rested, decorated by luxurious blood red velvet. Seated in them were the Volturi leaders clothed in black robes. Caius sat in the left chair, and with his shoulder length white hair, appeared to be the oldest of the three, though appearances meant nothing when it came to vampires. Aro, who occupied the center armchair, appeared to be the youngest, though he could have very well been the oldest if he had been turned at a younger age. His long black hair framed a shockingly white, if not slightly translucent face. Marcus was seated in the third chair. All three Volturi leaders could have passed for long dead corpses with their translucent skin and milky burgundy eyes. If this was what eternal life got you, I didn't want it.

Before them, two children no more than twelve or thirteen years old stood placidly, their youthful features betrayed by the ancient eyes of sadistic killers. Though different genders, the vampires that I identified as Jane and Alec looked very much alike, with the same mouse brown hair and delicate features. But I knew that especially in this case, appearances were deceiving. They were no more innocent than a wolverine was friendly, and their "talents" were both valued and revered by the rest of the Volturi. Finally, flanking the small vampires were Felix and Demetri, clearly constituting the brawn of the group. Felix, with his short cropped raven hair, was an especially imposing figure, perhaps even more muscular than Emmett. If I remembered correctly, he was known for his physical prowess. However, Demetri was not to be disregarded. His stance was deceptively loose; he was a wound coil ready to spring at a moment's notice. If I hadn't had prior knowledge of his tracking abilities, the brief searching look he gave us would have given him away. He was looking for weaknesses as I would when I sized up my opponent. After years of taking on the forms of countless hunters, I was familiar with how their minds worked. I knew a predator when I saw one, and Demetri certainly fit the bill.

It was clear that this was a protective set up, with the Volturi leaders guarding their prized telepath, and the remainder of the guard shielding the leaders. To get to Nadezhda, we would have to go through all of them, and that suited me fine. I had enough fury for all of them. All these observations took mere seconds; it was a habit. I slow smile lit Aro's face.

"Ah, our guests have arrived. And Edward and Bella, it is such a _pleasure _to see you again!"


	20. Resurgence

"Can't say we feel the same," Bella shot back. Edward gave her a sharp warning look. Aro's hand fluttered to his chest as if offended.

"Tsk, tsk. And here I thought you were here to peruse our new accommodations."

"Don't get me started on your accommodations," she snipped.

"Bella, love, don't be so rash…we don't want to provo—" Edward, began.

"Rash?!" she practically shrieked. "Edward, world domination is rash. I'm tired of this small talk. They know perfectly well why we're here." I liked Bella more all the time. The tension in the air was thick enough to be cut with a knife; if someone wasn't going to start this fight soon, I sure as hell was.

"And why is it that you're here, beautiful Bella?" Bella visibly grimaced at the word 'beautiful.'

"I didn't think we were here to answer obvious questions, Aro." Aro's beaming smile wavered almost imperceptibly. Did I detect a twinge of annoyance?

"Does 'ending your worthless life' sound like a good reason?" I chimed in. Caius let our an exaggerated huff.

"Wonderful, this one has a mouth on her, too," the white-haired vampire muttered, sounding like a disgruntled grandfather deploring the behavior of today's youth. "Look at them." He gestured to the Cullens. "Traitors to their own cause," he sneered.

My brow knitted in irritation at the remark. Erik Lensherr, otherwise known as Magneto, one of the X-men's most persistent rivals, had said something similar. He, like Professor Xavier, fought for the benefit of mutants. But this was as far as their philosophies overlapped. Magneto believed that mutants, being a superior race, should rule over the rest of the human population that consistently distrusted, feared, and attacked us. The Professor insisted mutants and humans could peaceably coexist, and that our abilities did not give us any right to do as Magneto proposed. Erik viewed the X-men's protection of humans and their defiance of him as traitorous. Like Magneto, the Volturi clearly had no respect for human life….except as a food source. Like the X-men, the Cullens reject the idea that vampires, though the stronger race, should rule over humans, and go to great lengths to protect them. Now that I thought about it, the similarities between the groups were striking. I had been wrong about them, in more ways than one. If Jesse hadn't insisted that I trust them, what would have happened then? Would the Cullens have been killed? Without Carlisle's knowledge of this place, would the Volturi have already won?

"Do not be so rude, Caius," Aro continued without missing a beat. "Heed not their empty taunts, for they will all have a _fine _place in our new world order."

"You say that as if it were a certainty," remarked Edward.

"It all but is Edward."

"If you haven't noticed, your army was just turned into pixie dust," I felt the need to put in. His horrific eyes fixed on me momentarily, that irritating smile still plastered on his face. Vampire or not, he still made vaguely human facial impressions, and I was very good at reading them. My comment had unnerved him.

"Inconsequential. The remaining shall do the job on your comrades, _mutant_," he spat the word. He turned his attention to the rest of us once more. "Of course, you know I cannot allow your interference here. Unless of course any of you wish to join us?" The grave silence that followed would have been comical under any other circumstance. He sighed.

"Very well then. Such a shame. A waste of talent." I caught the glance Aro gave Demetri an instant before the tracker moved forward. A loud crack resonated in the chamber as Bella's head bounced against the stone floor. Bella lay sprawled on the ground, motionless. I looked at Demetri in shock; the vampire gave me a sly smile. I had never seen a creature move that fast; I barely registered the attack. I hoped against hope Bella was simply unconscious—was that possible for a vampire? But without a heartbeat, pulse, or steady breathing that were the tell tale signs of life in all other organisms I had nothing to go off of. An impact like that would have cracked any normal human skull. Seeing as hers was still in one piece, I was hoping she would recover. It had to be harder to kill a vampire than that. Edward gave a feral snarl I didn't know he was capable of and came to her side, crouched in a vampire fighting stance.

"Can't have her using that wonderful shield of hers, now can we?" Aro laughed. Edward shot him a glare of unbridled rage, and then lunged at Demetri, who deftly sidestepped to avoid the attack. Emmett moved to help his adopted brother, but Felix's imposing figure moved in to block his path. I noted that they were about equal in size. But in strength? Who knew.

"Not so fast," Felix rumbled. Emmett merely smiled, slowly rolled his head, and cracked all his knuckles simultaneously.

"I've been waiting to do this for a long time, big boy. Let's go," Emmett said. In a blur of motion they collided, the sound similar to an impact between two granite boulders. To my left Luke went furry growled with enough menace to scare off anything that valued its life. _Alright, I guess it's show time. _Closing my eyes to concentrate, I slid easily into a tiger form, and immediately felt the presence of Luke and the rest of the pack's minds encroaching on mine. From what I could gather from them, we were still holding our own on the outside. For now.

The high pitched laugh of child caught my attention, and I turned my head to see Jane snickering at Bella's prone form. I snarled, and she looked at me with those terrible ruby eyes and flashed her keen twin fangs.

I slunk toward her with my hackles raised and snarled, baring my long canines, but my attempt at intimidation seemed to carry no weight, as the child hellspawn's truly frightening smile didn't waver in the slightest. Fine by me; I preferred action anyway. The muscles of my hind legs bunched, lending power to my spring as I leapt at her with my claws unsheathed. They met with cold stone floor, and I whirled to see the vampire several feet away from where she had been a fraction of a second before. Her lips curled into a smug smile, the ivory fangs just peaking through the pink lips. I drove at her again, only for her to move almost imperceptibly at the last possible moment. Christ, she was fast, and I was no ordinary tiger. The beginnings of the tiger's frustration, and a hint of fear, began to press on me_. Not prey_, she warned. _No shit_, I thought to her. Jane was as much a predator as any of the vampires, but with the advantage of centuries of experience a small, lightning fast frame. She was being defensive, I knew. No, it was more than that. She was toying with me, reveling in my frustration as she evaded me again and again.

"What's wrong?" she teased. "Can't keep up?" And before I could react, I was backhanded by a small, impossibly hard arm, sending me reeling. My jaw cracked audibly and I yowled as the bone sealed itself back together. Growling, I charged her, but she didn't move. I should have found something wrong with that from the beginning, but blinded by rage, I didn't.

'_Brooke, be careful! She can—' _Luke began. That was when her scarlet eyes locked on mine, and my nerves were consumed by fire. _Stupid_, I cursed myself through clenched teeth. I had been briefed on their abilities, and I disregarded all that information to launch myself at her like an over eager rookie on her first assignment.

I hit the ground with an audible thud against the cold stone, paralyzed by a pain so extreme I contemplated death as a more pleasant alternative. I couldn't move. I could scarcely breathe. Every nerve ending in my body was in overdrive, and I could do little more than writhe and contort helplessly against the onslaught of impulses that slammed against my oversaturated brain. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of white fur, which collapsed by my side as Jane tangled Luke into her gaze. _No! _I cried out mentally. A pang of guilt shot through me as the lupine head fell near mine. Luke wouldn't have attacked so rashly if he didn't feel some damn werewolf urge to protect me at all costs. I cursed myself once more. I deserved death for this. For killing my mother, for Jesse's sacrifice to protect me, and now for Luke's inevitable demise. One ice blue eye ceased rolling just long enough to meet my fading vision.

'_Don't be stupid, Brooke. I would have defended you, imprinted or not. Now isn't the time to throw yourself a pity party.' _The wolf broke eye contact and squeezed his eyes shut. His jaws were clamped tight against the pain, baring his long canines. Grudgingly, I had to admit he was right. This wasn't the time to just roll over and die so these undead parasites could have their domination plans realized. Jesse sacrificed himself so that we could get this far. I winced at the thought as the pain of that realization struck me again. _I may not get out of here alive, but I'm damn well not going down without doing as much damage as possible_.

I shut my eyes and concentrated, even as the pain threatened to obliterate the last thread of consciousness I was holding on to. _I can't black out, not now, not yet._ In the haze of pain, I withdrew into myself, dreading with all my being what I had to do next. I had spent the last decade or so since my mutant abilities emerged perfecting my control over my transformations, allowing me to accurately change certain body parts or turn myself into an animal-human hybrid, skills that proved extremely useful over the years. But above all, I had learned to maintain control over the impulses of the wild carnivores that cohabited my self-conscious when I changed. Because of this, I'd been "incident" free since my first transformation. That control, Logan told me once, kept me in the driver's seat. But it also limited me. It limited my strength, speed, senses, and healing ability. Logan, who had more than one bout of "beserker" rages in his day, could attest to the power that could be amassed when control was lost.

For years, I carefully constructed the intricate mental barriers that protected me from lapses in control. For years, I had been in the driver's seat. But right now, as I yowled in agony, control was not what I needed. What I needed was my power, the full extent of which I had never dared release again. So I reached inside myself and did the one thing I told myself I would never do as long I lived. With my last shred of consciousness, I shattered the cage that kept the beasts at bay.

The flood of power shot from brain and spiraled down my spinal cord, taking the fast track to every nerve in my body. My body sang with the release. Invigorated, wild, and free, the beasts of my subconscious rejoiced. But as the pain hit them, I also sensed their powerful anger. They didn't respond kindly to being threatened, and really, really did not like pain. My healing factor surged in strength, and began to systematically block Jane's pain signals to my brain. As the pain began to ebb, the beasts howled in victory. With the pain diminishing the beasts focused on taking care of the threat. And that was when another signal was sent: the signal to change. My body flooded with heat, and the reaction was so strong that out of fear I made a desperate attempt to restore the barriers. But I was forcefully pushed back. The beasts would not be so easily imprisoned, not with their newfound freedom, and certainly not with the threat still at large. I was in the thrall of my own power, and for the time being, I had to relinquish the wheel and settle for riding shotgun.

The tiger's consciousness rejoined the other carnivores as the first contortions of my transformation began. As the tiger retreated, panic suddenly gripped me when I sensed the new presence that came to the forefront. _No, no, no. _Not this one. Anything but this one. I again tried to arrest the change, but it was useless. The beasts growled and snarled at my feeble resistance.

'_No,' _I could almost hear their collective voice, '_this is who we choose.'_ I opened my eyes as sprouting ebony fur began to replace my striped pelt and the bones of my jaw cracked, stretching my muzzle outward. And then I felt her fully, her savage anger, her violent nature, but most of all her power. My first form, the one I had tried to bind in chains and never unshackle again: the wolf. I should have known that in times of desperation, they would always choose her.

Her form slipped over me like a second skin, and with shock I realized that I was no longer writhing under Jane's torture. In fact, the pain had ceased entirely as my healing factor silenced the impulses. My mind was buzzing, drunk on the wolf's rage. My body brimmed with what seemed to be boundless power. Slowly, I rose to my feet, and realized with shock that I was not below Jane's eye level, which would be expected from a wolf's stature, but rather I towered over her. No, I was not a wolf. Jane looked into the eyes of a werewolf black as night.


	21. The Trifold Treatise

***One more chapter to go. Hope you're enjoying the story-any feedback is appreciated **

_Well, werewolves _are _carnivores after all_, I thought to myself. So it would make sense that I could take on the form of one of the oversized wolves. Of course, it was just my luck that the wolf in me would reemerge in the most dramatic way possible. Fear and anxiety gripped me as wolf's presence brought back the painful memories of my first change…and of my mother. But these feelings were quickly swept aside as the wolf's consciousness pressed against mine. _No fear, _she asserted. _The child caused pain. Must eliminate the threat. _I felt her rage consuming me, eating at any shred of control I had left. And I was afraid of her power, but also invigorated by it. I felt myself giving into her, drunk on the wolf's confidence and the massive power of werewolf form.

When Luke staggered to his feet beside me, I realized that Jane must have relinquished her hold over him. He gave me a quick once over, his canine face contorting to convey the closest imitation of human shock he could manage. I could hear the questions in his thoughts, but he was only met with emotions of pent up rage. Try as I might, I was having trouble forming human thoughts, a telltale sign that the animal was exerting too much control. But with my barriers shattered, I could do little to stop it. Jane stared at me, wide-eyed.

"I-Impossible," she muttered. And in that single word, the wolf picked up on the barest hint of fear in the cadence of her voice. The wolf growled and lunged for her instinctively, moving far more quickly than any other predator I had ever become. My maw closed around the small head, and in a single fluid motion I wrenched it from her neck with a peal of screeching stone that reverberated around the chamber. The wolf eyed the disembodied head and frozen mulberry eyes with disinterest, and then proceeded to rend the body into smaller pieces. I could only watch in horror, imprisoned within myself. This wasn't a simple kill. It was desecration.

The blow of another vampire pushed me from my kill and I snarled, whirling toward my opponent. The other child vampire, Alec, glared at me with hate written in his features. The human part of me understood the pain of loss that lie behind his anger. The wolf only saw another threat. I lunged.

'_Brooke, if you're still in there, don't just attack because Alex will—' _And then I was plunged into darkness. _I'm blind,_ I thought in horror. No, it was more than that. I could no longer hear; the sudden silence was deafening compared to the roar of battle moments before. In fact, I couldn't even sense the movement or position of my own body. I felt disembodied, floating without senses in a sea of endless dark. Was this death?

'_No,' _came Luke's answer. _'Not if I have anything to do with it. It's Alec, he strips you of your senses. Don't you listen?'_

'_I'm sorry, it's the wolf. I drew on my power to escape Jane's hold, and this is what came out of that. She's dangerous, Luke. Dangerous and violent. So I never let her out. Now that she has control, I'm having some trouble getting my body back.' _I noted that without senses, however, she was surprisingly quiet now that she didn't have a visible target. I could feel Luke's scrutiny.

'_That was your first change. You're not a kid anymore, Brooke. I know you're stronger than that. When I get you your senses back, I want you to take control. No excuses.' _

The restoration of my senses was almost as jarring as their sudden disappearance. I was jolted by the sudden onslaught of visual and auditory information. Luke stood over Alec's prone form, his snowy pelt now sullied by his own blood. The metallic scent of blood brought the wolf consciousness back full force. I lurched to my feet, scanning for the next threat with soft growls rumbling in my throat. My eyes briefly paused upon Emmett and Felix still locked in a battle of brute force. Edward stood protectively over Bella and he and Kitty tried to defend themselves against Demetri's lightning fast strikes.

"Alec….Jane…my children," came a strangled voice. Aro stood over Jane's decimated remains. Not even the human part of me could find an ounce of sympathy for the would-be conqueror of the world. The wolf went for him, and in an instant Aro was on the ground with one massive black forepaw pressed against his chest. My sharp claws pushed hard against the granite like consistency of his skin. He raised one arm, but rather than attempt a strike, he laid a hand against the fur of my paw. I felt slightly light headed as Aro's eyes clouded, seemingly far away.

"He reads minds through physical contact," I remembered Edward saying. "He can see every memory or thought you've ever had." Aro laughed, a long, cold laugh. Were I in his situation, I wouldn't be chuckling with one thousand pounds of angry canine standing over me. The wolf growled menacingly at him, snapping her jaws inches from his face. She would not be trifled with.

"Kill me," he sneered, scarlet eyes boring into mine. _Gladly_, I thought, and for once me and the wolf were in agreement. Jesse's face was plastered across my memory. He was dead, and I was looking into the face of the one responsible. The wolf started to move in for the kill, when he added "just like you did your mother. Like you did Jane. Rip into me like the beast you are." The wolf snarled and opened her maw.

_No! _I asserted to the wolf, suddenly overtaken by anger. She hesitated and growled, not at Aro, but at the human sharing her mind. _I'm not a beast, and I won't mindlessly slaughter anyone else. This is MY body, wolf, and you are under my control. _She balked, stunned as I forcibly exerted control over the werewolf's body. I lifted my head away from Aro, and the claws of my forepaw flexed under my command. _Mine_, I told her. And for the first time, the wolf bowed in submission.

'_No, Aro. I won't kill you,' _I said in my most vicious thoughtspeak. Being in physical contact with me, he could hear me loud and clear. I leaned in close, his sickening scent pervading my nostrils._ 'You don't even deserve that luxury.' _Luke was suddenly by my side, and Aro looked hastily from one heavily armed animal to the other. He was at our mercy, and he knew it.

I looked up just in time to see Demetri's head roll, Felix trapped in Emmett's bone crushing armlock, and Bella awake and staring hard at the circular dais. Edward also looked toward Nadezdha, who had not moved since the battle began. Her eyes were still glazed, but they flickered towards Bella and Edward nervously. _She's a sitting duck, _I realized. She can't use any of her power without losing control of her vampire army.

"_Bella's using her shield. I can tell," _Luke said to me. I gave him a wolfy sidelong glance.

"_To protect who?" _

As if in answer, Kitty teleported to appear right behind Nadezdha, and in a fraction of a second, the vampire telepath's head and mane of hair fell from her shoulders.

**One week later**

I reached out to shake the cool, dry hand of the President of the United States. The flashbulbs popped, recording the moment for all of history. He moved to take Storm's hand, followed by Logan and Luke's. He hesitated a moment before he shook Carlisle and Edwards' icy, hard hands, looking into their golden eyes as he did so. I had to give him credit; it was brave. I could smell the fear on him, but he was handling his first civil encounter with vampires surprisingly well.

What would become known as the Vampire War resulted in heavy casualties worldwide, both civilian and mutant. Nadezdha's death hastened the end of the global battle since the newborns lost their control, but the sheer number of newborns meant that there were still a few stragglers being dealt with even one week later. But all in all, the primary result was that the existence of vampires was no longer a secret. And since they weren't going anywhere, their presence had to be dealt with…carefully. People didn't exactly get the warm and fuzzies thinking about the undead bloodsuckers, especially when members of their own families had been turned or killed as a result of the war.

So here we were, with representatives of mutants, vampires, and humans all present as a new agreement was signed. The Concord of the Supernaturals now gave way to the Trifold Treatise which included the three primary groups of our society: mutants and other superhumans, vampires, and now humans. Similar agreements were being signed globally as other nations determined how they would handle the existence of vampires. Carlisle and Edward would represent the new face of American vampires, and they would take the first steps on the long road to repair the damage done to the vampire image. As the Treatise's main principle, it outlawed American vampires from taking human lives. Carlisle would be implementing a "vegetarian" mandate for all vampires, in which he would establish necessary institutions to wean vampires off of human blood in favor of animal sources. Research was also being put into play to generate synthetic blood that mimicked the taste of human blood, but it would likely be several years before this became a viable option for the vampires. Newborns of the war with enough self-control to surrender after Nadezdha's fall would not be punished. They would be immediately placed in Carlisle's program to control their urges and return them to their families as soon as they could. As for the surviving members of the Volturi, which consisted of Aro, Caius, Marcus, and Felix, they were transported to the Raft, S.H.I.E.L.D's maximum security prison for supervillains, where they would remain for the foreseeable future.

As for me, Storm's attitude toward vampires had to change as a result of the war, especially since Kitty, now a newborn vampire, had no intention of leaving the X-men. My membership to the X-men was reinstated, not that she had much of a choice when my role in the final battle and Logan's influence were considered.

The existence of superhumans and vampires has wreaked havoc on our world time and again, but I had hope that like countless times before, we would heal and move on. And when a new challenger rears its ugly head, as long there is breath in me I will gladly face it.

I live to fight another day.


	22. Epilogue

"So, you're telling me that somehow you've…._unimprinted_? Is that even possible?" I asked Luke as we sat side by side on a bed of damp pine needles in the still cold darkness of the forest. I had taken a jet to bring him and the vampires back to Forks, but before I left Luke he insisted we needed to talk. The forest suited us both just fine. And Luke was shirtless…when it was probably about thirty five degrees. Jacob told me werewolves ran hot, so clothing tended to be off about as often as it was on amongst the pack. Luckily for me he at least had the decency to wear jeans. He shrugged, flexing well-muscled shoulders.

"First time I've heard of it. But that must be it; there's no other way to explain it. When we defeated the Volturi, I couldn't sense you anymore in my mind. And I don't feel drawn to you anymore. There's no compulsion to follow you or make sure you're safe. I meant to tell you earlier, but we've been so caught up in handling the aftermath of all this that I didn't get the chance." He looked at me, his sky blue eyes bright in the slivers of moonlight.

I let out a sigh of relief. I had been wondering how Luke would fare when we parted, especially if imprinting was a strong of a compulsion as the wolves described.

"You know, Brooke. I think…I think this imprinting thing is a bit different than we used to think. I thinks it's more like our way of protection. Maybe this ability came out of a need to protect our tribe all those years ago with the first Quileute werewolves. I think that I imprinted on you somehow knowing that you were going to be danger, and once that mission to protect you ended, so did the imprinting."

"That's an interesting theory, Luke. It's a good enough explanation for me anyway."

"Is it me, or do you seem somewhat disappointed?" he questioned, a smile playing on the corners of his mouth. I narrowed my eyes.

"It's definitely you, Luke. No offense," I said good naturedly. He chuckled.

"None taken. And same to you, don't take the whole not being drawn to you thing personally. Imprinted or not imprinted, you make a pretty cute wolf." I raised an eyebrow at him. That was a comment that could only come from a werewolf. He raised his hands in his defense.

"I'm serious! You're not all black you know, like the wolf Renesmee showed me from your memories. You have this silly splash of white at the tip of your tail, kinda like a fox. It's cute," he said, not making any effort to hide his wide smile now. I gave him a playful shove.

"You think you're so funny."

"Hey, at least it seems like you're ok with the wolf topic now. Are you and your alter ego at peace now?" I laughed inwardly. If only he knew just how many alter egos I shared my mind with on a regular basis. I briefly reached inside myself to touch the presence of the wolf, who like all my forms was fairly dormant in my human shape. She stirred from her sleep, and it conjured up a mental image of a black wolf lifting its white tipped tail from her eyes and glaring at me as if to say "this better be good if you're disturbing me." I let her go, and she went back to her rest, complacent.

"Yeah, I'd say so," I replied, cracking a smile.

Luke and I parted about an hour later after saying our good byes. He felt the need to go wolf and run off some energy, and I was content to have just a little more time to myself in the forest, as cold as I was. Shivering, I gathered some wood, which I unsuccessfully tried to light. _Damn wet wood. Does it always rain here? _I scrounged around some more, and found a few loose pine branches that seemed fairly dry. Throwing them on top of the pile, I flicked the cigarette lighter once more. The little flame caught on the dry needles, consuming them and hungrily eating its way down to the branches. Within a few minutes, the damp wood was lighting. It was a bit smoky, but it was blessedly warm.

Feeling victorious, I sat down next to it and stared into the glowing flames, mesmerized by the fluidity of its wild, unrestrained motion and the dancing shades of gold, crimson, and cobalt. I closed my eyes briefly, relishing the warmth on my eyelids. The fire suddenly flared. I jumped up. _Shit. Too much. Gotta put it out. _Tendrils suddenly licked out and I gasped. _A hand. My god, that was definitely a hand. _

The fire suddenly flared higher, roaring, and from its depths a man of flame crawled from it, coughing and gasping on his hands and knees. _Jesse._ Suddenly I was frozen, my mind whirring with emotions. My eyes filled with tears. Of happiness? Anger? I didn't know, and I didn't care. It was Jesse. Right here. Not dead.

The fire around the man's form extinguished, and Jesse Storm knelt there in his place, stark naked.

"You're naked." I sputtered, at a loss for words. My brain circuitry had fried at just seeing him. He looked up from the ground, directly at me, panting, his face weary. His eyes were still ablaze, the fire flickering with determination. He was struggling to keep control, and was exhausted beyond belief, but he still managed to smile at me. I almost melted on the spot. I had resigned to the fact that the smile would only exist in my memories forever after. He laughed hoarsely

"I explode with a force greater than a nuclear warhead, and all you're wondering about is why my clothes didn't survive?"

"In case you can't tell, I'm not registering much at the moment. My dead partner just reincarnated himself from my camp fire. Give me a few seconds to get up to speed. How…how is this possible? You can't be real." I knelt to touch his shoulder, but my arm jerked back instinctively as I grazed him. The skin was scalding, but it he was solid flesh as far as my senses could make out. His scent was potent in the air.

"Careful, hun. I'm on the verge of disintegrating again," he said through ragged breaths.

"Disintegrating?" I gasped. If I lost him again, I didn't think my heart could take it.

"The force of the blast consumed me. I produced so much heat that I was ripped apart atom by atom, it was unimaginably excruciating. When I came to, I didn't have a body, but I was conscious. I could see and hear. Somehow, the atoms that made up me were there, intact, and I had control over them. If I concentrated, I could bring them together around anything that gave off heat. But I couldn't get them to reform, to organize themselves into _me_, even though they wanted to. I saw you make it out of the castle alive. I forced my disembodied self to the engines of the jet, where the heat could keep me together. You came back to Forks, and I saw you sitting there in front of the fire," he paused.

"By the way, that was the most pathetic attempt at making a fire I've ever seen. You're worse than a first year boy scout, and even that's giving you too much credit."

"Hardy har har, God of Fire. Now get to the part where appear before me in all your naked glory."

"As you wish," he winked one glowing eye. "I gave it one more try. Threw all my atoms and all my strength into your fire. It clicked. I felt myself coming together spontaneously. I'm a little unstable, but I think I'm holding." He shot me a look. "Can you call me God of Fire again? I like the sound of that."

I sighed. He just went through some strange life-death limbo, and his immaturity hadn't waned a bit. You would think an experience like that would make someone just a tad more serious. But I was too happy to have him in front of me, alive and breathing, to truly muster any anger. I didn't have to be angry for a comeback though.

"You arrogant bastard. Did you reincarnate just to pester me for the rest of eternity?" He did an exaggerated wince.

"That hurts, Brooke. I'm in a fragile state right now, any more insults and I might vanish in a puff of smoke."

"You're not going anywhere," I countered. He grinned and rose to his full height, his eyes extinguishing to reveal their toffee colored irises. He closed the distance between us.

"You're right. As long as you're here, I'm staying put. Besides, eternity is a long time, but not quite long enough for me. I've got a lot of pestering to do." Jesse leaned in to kiss me. And I didn't resist. Not one bit.

I had to hand it to him. You win, God of Fire.

****So that's it. Final thoughts, comments, criticisms? Hope you all had as much fun reading as I did writing!****


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